CASHMERE MISGOVERNMENT.
BY ROBERT THORP.
a
DUDICATED
(WATHOUT PRRMISSTON)
ro
HER MAJESTY: GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.
Galata |
PUBLISHED BY WYMAN BRoS,
HAR STRIMED,
186,
K AL. LEWIs,
CAICULTS OPNTRAL PRESS COMPANY, LEMEERD,
3, couUxcIn uoUsH SiREE,
INDEX,
CHAPTER I.
Tnbvoduotory Remarks we ak
“Lar: ¥ Brodueo Taxation Systom, on
CHAPTER It
“Sho Shawl Syatome er 5 ‘ee tne
CHAPTER MIL
Mransport of Supplios for Troops ae
OHAPTER Iv.
~Misvollancous,
“CHAPTER V,
Motul and -Politiot Roasdus for the Porinanont Appoinéimont
of a Rosidont and. Assistants to control and direot tho
avtion of the Jamoo Gavernmont s+
» Conclusion “in oe fas
PAU,
1
a
3h
37
61
CASHMERE MISGOVERNMENT.
meee. Gm --
CHAPTER L
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
Ow1ne to thab peculiar arrangemont belaween the Govern.
ment of India and the Jamoo Government, by which
Englishmen ave excluded from tho dominions of tho lutter
daring tho winter months, and also to the well-grounded fear
of the Maharajah’s subjects to speak of the oppressive system
under: which they live, I feck confident that most of tho
following information, which I have, nob without diManlty,
collected, will be now, alile to those who have travelled in
Cashmere, and to those whoso knowledge of the country and
its government is only derived from newspapers and tho
dalk of society.
Tam therefore inclined to believe that the communications
T havexto make regarding a country for whose welfare (ag
I shall endeavour to shew) we are responsible, will be of
interest, first, to those who wish that the Government they
serve, ot live under, shauld act with less tegard to the expedi-
eney of the momont than in such manner as shull procure
2 CASHVERD MISGOVERNVEN'T.
for it the character of a high-minded, an unselfish, and a
just power,
Second, to those who can feel pity for the undeserved
sufferings of men, and disgust and indignation at the spectacle
of a people whose characteristics (both intellectual and
moral) give evidence of former greatness, trampled upon by
a yace in every way inforior to themselves, nnd stendily °
deteriorating under the influence of an oppressive despotism
which bars the way to all improvement, whether social,
intellectual, or religious,
Third, to those who, from their position, share in the
responsibility which, in my opinion, attaches to the Govern-
ment of India regarding the people whom it sold into the
slavery of Gulab Singh,
Without farther promise or apology, I shall therefore begin
by laying before the reader a detailed account of the
CASHMERE MISGOVERNMEN'T, :
LAND PRODUCE TAXATION SYSTEM IN
CASHMERE,
Of almost everything produced by the soil, Government
takes a large proportion, and the numerous officials who ave
employed in collecting it aro paid by an award of so
much grain from tho share of the zemindars,
The following isa list of the different officials who aro
concerned in the collection and division of the land produce,
and in the general government of the country outside the city
of Srinagur, which is under the Governor of Cashmore and
the Chief Magistrate.
The principal of these is
'
The Tehsildar,—1Wo has under him from two to five porgun-
naha; he exercises a auparvision over tho accounts of the
* kardars” within his district ; ho has powers of punishment up
toa fortnigh(’s imprigonmont and ten rupeos fino; all com-
plaints, disputes, and offences oceurring within his Lehsil are
referred to him; he hag from 200 to 400 sepoya under him,
and is responsible only to tho Dihwan or Governor of Cashmore,
who resides in the city,
The Thanedar—Is the ohiel officer over each pergunnah ; he
has slightor powers of punishment, and from 40 to 60 sepoys
undor him, His chief duties aro to make inspections through.
out his pergunnah, and to make reports coucorning tho erops
and general matters to his tehyildar.
4, CASIIMERE MISGOVERNMENT,
Lhe Kardar—Is the chiof of tho officials who are petsonally
concerned in the collection of the land produce, Ilo has
under him a certain number of villages, of whose crops he
has to keep a strict account, and to each of which he goes in
person at the dime when the different crops ripen, in order to
snperintend the different distribution of cach, Ie reports to
his thanedar, and causes the Government shares of the ereps
to be despatched 10 tho city, or elsowhore, according to tho
orders he may receive. In lieu of some of the inferior kinds
of grain, the Government will oceasionally take an equivalent
in money from the kardar, The zomindars do not, however,
benefit by this arrangement, since in thesé eases tho kardar
inkes from them the full amount of produce, and sells the
amount, for which the Government have taken money, to his
own advantage ; and since this arrangement is greatly preferred
by the kardars, thore must be a large demand for these graing
among the people: since, in order to make their own profits,
they ave, of course, obliged to sell them at a higher rate than
the very high prices demanded by Government, a scale of
which I shall give in tho sequel.
Over each village there is a
Mokuddum—Whose duty is to report any irrogularitias ov
thefts, to collect coolics and carriage for Governmont or othors,
and to keop an account of the orops of his village, in conjunc
tion with another official called the
Putwaree—Whose special duty is to keep a separate
account with each house of the zemindars of his village
of the different crops belonging 10 it. To each village there
is & patwaree 3 he is paid by the zomindars, and is a necessary
CASHMERE MISCOVERNMENT. 5
expense entailed on the zomindars by tho mode of collect
ing their tax. Ie is usually 2 pundit (¢).
The Shugdur.—There ave from one to four “ shugdurs” in
each village, according to its size. ‘Their dutics aro to watch
the crops while in the ground, and the Governmont shares of
the same, after thoy have been set aside and aro waiting their
removal to the Government store-houses, It is anid to bo a
common instance of oppression for the shugdur to extort
money from a zemindar by threatening lo accuse him of
stealing the Government grain, in which conse, rather than
court an’ investigation whose justice he has every reason to
doubt, the zemindar is fain to purchase tho sileneo of his
oppressor ageording to ability, ‘The shugdur is also paid
by the zemindars, and is supplied by them with russud (4)
gratis, .
The Surgowl—Is the official who is ovor the shugdura,
There is one surgowl to about every ton villages ; his dulios avo
to inspoot the shugdurs and to report to his kardar, It ly
said that he commonly oxtorls money from the shugdurs,
in the same way as wo have seon that tho shugdurs rotatinte
on the zemindar ; nono of thoso who aro thus opprossed over
seem to conlemplate such a stop as that of complaining to tho
thenedar of their pergunnah, or the tohsildar of tho digtriat,—
a curious proof of tho estimation in which tho justica of those
officials, one of whose nominal duties is to reoaivo complaints,
isheld. They are of courso Ilindoos,
(a) Ibis, L suppose, known that tho zomindavs of Onshmero aro Musalmon,
as mo also tho inhabitants of tho cities, with the exception of a fow pundila
and othor ofllvials of Govornmont, -
(3) Russud moans daly submstonco, including fuck. In tho larger villnges
the shugdur is usually a pundit, 2
6 CASUMERE MISGOVERNMENT,
The surgowl is frequontly a pundit, and is paid by the
zemindars, as is also the
Tarougdar—Whose duty is to weigh the grain when the
Government portion is taken from the zemindars, He is
always in attendance upon the kardar.
The Hurkava—tis a police constable. There is ono hurkava’s
house to about every twenty villages, all the malo mombora of
his family being also hurkaras. He receives reports from, and
gives direotions to, the
Doom, ov policeman, of which there is one to every village,
the inhabitants of which are obliged to supply him with
russud,
Such is the small official family which the Cashmero
zemindar -has to support, the greator part of whom are
rendered necessary by the complicated system which a collec-
tion of land produce entails, According to the custom of
ghe country, the land owned by any one house is common (a) 3
the patwaree of the village has therefore to’ keep an account
of the amount of grain produced by each different kind of
crop belonging to each separate house, and to caloulate the
amount due to Government according te the scalo which I
shall now proceed to give,
There aro two kinds of crops in Cashmore, as in Hindustan,
called the rubbia and the khareefa.
The first of these consists of those which ripen ‘about
July, and the second of those whose harvest time is aboub
24 monthslater. Ofthe khareefa, all the crops except the rico
en!
(a) There are usually from to lo five families ine house connected by
mitriage,
CASHMERE MISGOVERNMENT, t
ave second crops, é.¢., are produced from land which has already
yielded a crop. The riee ground alone produces nothing
but rice; it ig sown in May and reaped in Septembor. Tho
Government scale of weights usod in collecting their pro-
portion of grain is as follows :—
6 soerg = 1 irik
16 trdks = 1 kharwah
but in selling the grain aflerwards to the people the scale is
6 seers = 1 trdk
15 traks = 1 kharwah,
The extra trak thus gained by the Government in ench
khavwah is in order to liquidate the expenso of carrying the
grain from the villages to the city, which, cousidoring the
ensy rate at which carvinge is paid for by tho Government, itt
must amply do!
.
The amount taken by the Government and the Govorn-
ment officials upon the rubbia and khaveefa crops is as
follows :—
Ont of every 82 tril of ench grain of tho rubbia orop,
the following amounts are inkon from the zomindars:-—
Trica, | Soovs.
Government share... on or “0 20 0
The surgowl fe : ai 0 By
The shugdar or me on on 0 °
The tarougdar pik Seed ave an 0 Fi
The hurkara fi wa ane BY 9 1
The patwares ee os ve ae 0 ih
Servants of the kardar ave sia ae 0 {
Total taken in kind out of ovory 32 triks of
each grain of the rubbia erop an we 20 | at
8 CASUMLRE MINGOVERNAINT,
The rabbia crop consists of the undermentioned grains,
and the sums annexed to each are a money tax levied on
every 82trdk of each grain of the rubbia crop, ix addition to
the tax in kind which I have just detailed :—
A Chilkee annas=about } Company’s anna,
rennin
Kunvek fe kind of wheat) .. iy wef 8) Chilkea annas, ,
Uiska (barley) ae Py afk 4, 2
Kurrer (peas - Wyn ”
Tilogogolo (a grain ‘from which oil is “imnde) 3 ae =
Kuttan (ditto ditto) 3 ” iy
ion t from which dil is made f i 1 : 4
osour w 2
Krotur i ditto ditto ha } ; ‘
agrain used for ontile, and also by
Méut > tho poorer classes of the pele for Ibo, rr
food ie on
Total tukon in money pon ora, 192 tk of the
rubbiacrop 1 i oe] 224 Chilkeo annas.
Out of every 32 trik of each grain of the khareefn crop,
the following amounts are taken fvom the zemindars,—
otter tne ete nena nttnceresniyn pes
‘Trik. Sear,
Government share... oe oo ms 21 2
Mundeer (or tomplo) tax 0 2
Juloos-us- gowl (said to bo for the neo of the
Maharajah’s nee) m on Me 0 2
Tho patwaree Sa ve ve 0 iy
Tho hurkera one an 0 13
The shugduy a tee tee 0 1
The surgoul “ avi 1 0 a
Servants of the kurdar Mer si 0 4
Tho tarougdar 0 4s
otal taken in kind out of every 32 Trik of oach
grain of the khareala crop. . a eo 21 | 184
CASTIMERE ATSCOVERNM ENT, Hy]
The Kkhareofa. crop consists of the following grains, and
the sums annexed to cach area monoy tax levied on ovary
$2 trik of each grain of tho kharcofa crop, in atldilion to
the tax in kind which I have just detailed —
A chilkeo anna=about § Company’s anna.
rte
Shitlloa (vies fn the husk). ive wef 2) chilkea annay
Mukki (Indian corn) ge ae ura ee Bios ”
i" a grain used oxtonsively for food 4
Trombre by the zemindars ie os ie
Shawul f grains usod for food hy Behe 2 on ”
Pingi people... ou ve vel BL og ”
Kupas (flax) a} rs ie ice wel hoy ”
Total akon in money oul of overy, 142
drile of the khaveofa orop ... ve [| 174 chilkeo annas,
Russudart—In addition to these monoy taxes upon tho
different grain of tho rubbia and khhreela crops, thorve is also
a tax called russudart, which is levied annually upon cach
houso throughout the villages, of from 4annas to 20 annag,
according to the number of inmates,
Ivuit Lav.—-Of ho moro valuable kinds of fruils, such as
walnuts, apples, pears, apricots, almonds, and quineo, throo-
fourths of tho aunual produce are taken by Government, ho
duty of preserving them for this purpose falls upon tho siz
owl and his shigdors ; the abovo proportion is enllectod by
the kardar and his assistants, and transmitted according to tho
ordors of Government,
. *
Animal Tax,—Sheep and Coals-—¥rom avery village ov
villages whose land produces 600 kharwahs of grain, two or
(a) Tho proportion takon in kind upon kupis ov Max is in gecordauee wilh the seule Inid
down for tho subbia orop,
G
10 CASHMERE MISGOVERNMENT.
thyee of Lheso animals ave taken annually, aud half theie value
yelurned in coin to the zemindars.
Ponies —One pony is taken every year under the same
conditions, half of his value being retuned to the zemindars,
Puttoo—One léie, or woven blanket, is taken annually
under similar conditions ; half of its value is returned.
Ghee.—Fov ench milch cow half a seer of ghee annually is
taken.
Fowls,—From one to ten fowls yearly from cach houso,
according to the number of inmates,
Honey.—-Tn tho honey districts, as the Lidur and Wardwan
valloys, two-thirds of the produce are taken yemly by the
karday and others; but Lam uncertain whether thig is an
authorized Government tax,
The accounts of all these taxes are kept by the pattwiroo
and mokiddum, and the distribution of returned moncy is
made by them.
Tho above aro the taxes levied upon the zomindars of
Cashmero—i.¢., upon the population of the country, exclusive
of those who live in the larger towns, such as Srinagur,
Islamabad, Sopor, and Pampur; and it should be borne in
mind that all these taxes, .inoluding the amounts both in
money and in kind, taken -upon the rubbia and khaveefa
exops, ave the regularly authorized Government taxes, and
aot exactions made by officials (a.) It is highly probable that
—n
7) Except the honey, regarding which I have no certain knowledge,
CASIMURL MISCOVURNALNT. i
exactions are mado 7 excess of the eval amounts herein
Jaid down, bul of this it is not possible to speak with
perfect certainty (2), Of the evils of the above systom, (inde-
pendently of the enormous porecntage of produce taken by
the Govornment,) it is not necessary to say much, sinco thoy
are tolerably apparent.
For instance, if a zemindar wishes 40 complain thal he
has been mulcted of a larger proportion of grain or money
than he ought to have paid in accordance wilh the above
complicated scale, he goes to the thanedar of his pergunnah,
who makes enquiries, and sends for the kardar and the pabt
wares, If the man’s complaint is just, and if the thanedar
has not been bribed by tho kardar, ho gois redross om pay»
ment of @ rupee or two, besides the loss of his time. If the
thanedar has been bribed, tho zemindar can apponl to tho
higher tribunal of the tchsildar ; but here again there is the
risk of hig being forestalled by the united bribes of both
karday and thanedar, so that usually tho zomindar finds it
a wiser corse to pocket his money in silence,
The chief way, however, in which tho ovils of the system
ave felt throughout the country, is in the provontion of all tende
and bartor between tho people of tho towns and tho pooplo
of tho villages, Tho Inttor (excep) a fow shawl bats who
may be located in some of tho villages) aro all zemindars,
(a) Imeonu that, supposing no bribos avo {aken, no oppression ynactisocd
hy any of tho numorous officials whom I hava named ag conneated with the
collection and dhvision of tho nnd produco, the vominder will pny whats
is hoe laid down, and, on tie fypothesis that alt these yffeiats ard nerfoolly
honest, ho will pay no moro; of tho yalyo of this hypothoals, my renters may
form the own opinions.
12 CASHMERE MISCOVERNMENT.
the former are chiefly shop-keepers, shawl merchants, karkan-
ders, shawl bals, sida bafs, boatmen, and artisans of all
descriptions (2). Thus, the people of the towns and the people
of the country constitute tivo large classes,‘ with diflevent
wants; the former requires the things that the zemindar
possesses—xice, corn, fowls, sheep, milk, &c,; and the latter
yvequires money, which the city people would willingly give
him for his produce, to buy those comforts and luxuries which
the city can supply, chiefly imported articles, as spices, cotton,
cloth, &c. But this natural system of exchange is ontirely *
prohibited by the above arrangement ; so that, as I have
been informed by the best English authority, there were
people in Srinagur, some two or three years ago, with money
in their pockets, in a state of semi-starvation, ‘Tho zemin-
dars had, of course, no surplus supplies to sell them, and the
Government kotas (4) were shut for the time,
In fact, it is only vory recently that regulations have been
made whereby the people are permitted to buy os much
grain as thoy require from the Government, and for this poor
boon they are exceedingly thankful.
At some of their spring melas this year, I was struck
with the inevensed number of people as compared with tho
year before, and, on onquiry, was told that this year they have
‘boon allowed to buy food enough to cat, and aro consequontly
(q) Wovrkers in leather, papicr-maché, wood, motal, &o.
~ (2) Tho kota is tho Govovnmont storo-houso, from whoneo grain ia gold
fo tho pedple at prices which T shall give a list of in the sequal. Untal vory
yecontly it was the custom to close theao kotas fiom timo to time, and nover
towell rice but am yery small quantities,
CASILMERE MISCOVERNMENT, 13
able to come out and enjoy themselves a little, Such is
the boon which a paternal Government has recently aceordod
to the Cashmeeries |—permission to buy their own rice ab a
very oxorbitant rate; and (poor wretches!) so accustomed.
ae they 1o' oppression and misusage of all kinds, that they
look upon this as a concession deserving of tho utmost
gratitude.
It has beon truly said that the present system of land
produce taxation is no now ono introduced by the present
dynasty, but had ils ovigin al some vemolo period. hore
is, however, an important point of difference, which to the
peoplo makes all tho difference bewleen a mild system and
an oppressive one, and this is in the prices of the grain sold
by the Government,
Now, whon Gulab Singh began his iniquitous reign, ho
found the system pretty much the samo as I havo deseriled,
with cortain important exceptions (seo p. 58), and tho prices
of the grain thus collected in the Government kotas were ag
follows :—
A Iwree Singh rupeo=8 annns.
ShAlloo (unground ries) 1. 1 IL, 8. rupeo per kharwah,
Viska (barley) - 1. ve lL do do.
Mukki (Indian corn) wel do do.
Oil. . ais tee wel do do.
and the remainder in proportion.
‘When tho chango in tho coinage was made by Gulab Singh,
‘of which I shall hayo occasion to spenk horealter, ho nlso
raisod tho prices of ovorything sold by tho Government to
.
14 CASHMERE MISGOVERNNENT.
a rave higher than the present one, to which they wore
lowered on the accession of tho present Maharajah. The
prices at the present time avo as under ~~
A chilkee rupee= 10 aunas.
Bhillee a ins ite at 2 ch, Rs, por kharwah,
Viska me me oe 2 oy ow oy ”
Kunuk we os as Bn ww on
Mukki Bee “eg wee 2 ow ow on
Muttur (peas) wee on os bois ow oo”
Mong (fiom which dal) és wes Tannin on
Mohar ‘ 6 ek ae yr er a)
Mosor ” on oo 4yon wn oo»
Kidta * ww ie 2 on oye
Katiin (Lom whieh oil) ait ow 8» » » ”
Mout (a grain usod chtofly for cattle) 2 wow
Tilogogolo (from which oil) ow Bo a Oo
Tromba (fox food) oo cu are 2 oy moo” ”
2 » ” ” ”
Pingi } grains used for food by tho
sine f people... on }
Kupis (flax) -_ on ve
wR
ao
These prices, it will be secn, are more than double those for
which the same things were sold whon Gulab Singh got the
country, And, moreover, il can searoely bo pleaded in behalf
of a bad system, that it has been a long time in oporation.
The Government kotas ave both store-houses for the grain
and also: the places avhere if is sold to the peoplo in small
quantities.
Any ono in want of a largo amount must go to the officer
in chaige of the kotas, who gives them an order upon somo one
of the kardass, for which the officer tnkes the payment and!
GASIMERE AMISGOVERNMENT. 16
places if Lo tho oredit: of the kardar in his accounts. ‘Thove is
a considerable loss in buying from the Governmont kotas, from
the amount of dirt accumulated by transit from tho villages,
&e., go that the purchasor docs not, in point of frat, obtain 1
karwah of shalleo for his two chilkeo rnpees, but about a irik
less, It will be remombored that the Govornment kharwah,
when they sold to the people, is only 15 trike, (Seo pago 7),
The chiof points, then, with regnrd to this system of taxation
a11e,—
1, The provention of that traffic, and consequent inter.
course and union betweon the city and the country people,
which ave manifestly essontial 10 their comfort and woll-
being.
2, The comparative poverty which it produces among the
zemindars, and the actual want and misery which it holps to
produce among the shawl and sdda bMs, of whom I shall
speak hereaflor.
8, The opportunities afforded to Govornmont and Govorn.
mont officials of creating tomporary famines hy alosing tho
kotas (@) and thus raising the pricos of grain,
4, Tho countless opportunities for chicanory and opprossion
which it affords to the numerous loonl oftcors employed in
carrying out itg most complicated arrangomonts,
In consequence of the want of intercourso and trafte
between the city and country people which this aystom
z
(a) 1 do nob know that prices havo been notually yaisod hy tha olostug of *
tho kotas, bul it ia cortain that tho pooplo hayo often guilorod gront migory
on necount of if, (Seo p. 12),
16 CASHMERD MISCOVERNMENT,
produces, there has grown up a fecling of distrust and jealousy
between them, most detrimental, of course, to the happiness and
well-being of the community, but which it is probable
that a mean and selfish Government like that of Jamoo would
rather foster than diminish,
By way of final comment upon this extraordinary system,
T shall translate a sort of fable commonly known throughout
Cashmere, which {hey havo either invented, or perhaps adopt-
ed from the Persian, as emblematical of tho condition of their
country, and the peculiar system of its government:
TIE STORY OF ‘MOS DEDN KHAN?
Oneo upon a time there was a very grent nobleman, who
was a Pathan, and who lived in the mountains to the north.
west of Cashmevo; hisname was Mds Deen Khan. One day
he went upon a journcy to Srinagur, in Cashmere, in order ~
to pay his respects to the king of that country, and it happened
that on that occasion he rode a horso for which he had a vory
great regard. Ile was indeed so fond of this horse, that he
used to call himself the ¢ father of the animal’ (a),
« When Mads Deen Khan reached Sat-o-kuddel, which is the
soventh bridge over the Jhelum at Svinagur, he alighted
from his steed that ho might proceed to the royal palace on
foot ; and having given many instructions to the groom with
regard to the well-treatment of tho horse, ns well as especial
order's on no account to ride him, he sent him back to his
abodo in the mountains,
7
(a) Tho meaning of this expression will appear in the aoquel of tho storys
CABIIMORE MISCOVERNVLN'D. Li
But when Mods Deen Khan got half-way to the palace of
the king, ho bethought himsolf that perhaps bis sorvant might
ill-tront his hoiso; he therefore sont anothor of his attendants
with orders to overtake thom, and aseortain whether the beloved
animal was woll caved for, ‘The menial doparted, and found
tho first sovvant viding the horse ; ho thonght, ‘it is better for
me to ride at my enso than to quarrel with this servant, who
may perhaps afterwards falsely acouso mo to my master ;’ ao ho
too mounted.
“Now whon Mos Deen Khan got vory near tho palace
of the king, ho again bethought himself that perhaps it
would be better to sond a still more trustworthy servant
do be a cheek upon the conduct of the obhers with reyaid
4o his horse. But whon tho third servant overtook the
party, and found his two predeccasors riding, he also mounted ;
and the horse, which could havo canied one, hecama so
oxhausted under tho weight of three, that, on reaching his
stable, he died.”
Tho application of the story is obvious onough, and is a good
illustvation of the natural wil of tho Cashmoories. 16 is
particularly applicable al tho prosont time, sinee the Mahurajah
himself is said to be in ignorance of a Jargo part of the
oppression of his Government, and of the injustice of his
irresponsible officials,
Novortheloss, such ignorance is equivalent to guilt: and tho
desivo for the happiness of his subjects, if such a feeling ba
known to the Mahaajah, must be feeble and worthless indeed,
since it cannot even rouse him to ascortain for himeelf tha
condition of the people from whom he dorives his wealth, and
for whose well or ill-being Ze is responsible /
D
18 GASTIMERT: MISCOVRRNVENT,
Tt ig vavoly even, that he takes the trouble to visit the
Cashmere valley ; he sits apart in his Juxurious palace at Jamoo,
contented to receive such reports of the state of his country
as hig officials may choogo to furnish him with,
From time to time, some of the numerous complaints af hiy
bancfal administration, which circulate in newspapers and in
the talk of society, must penetrate the seclusion of the royal
chambers. Ilo hears them apparently unmoved (!)—with
indifference or contempt, and never seems to have conceived
the idoa of investigating their truth or falsehood for himself’;
or of scaing with his own eyes, and hearing with his own
ears, the actual condition of his people, Ile trusts evorys
thing to hig dihwans and wuzeers, who ave Hindoos of
a different onste from his own, are ill educated, totally
ignorant of English forms of government and of English
ideas of justice.
There is not only no link between the governing class
in Cashmere and the native inhabitants of the country, but
there are all those deep-rooted antipathics which must exist
between Mussulmen and Iindoos, Those who know the
fecling that exists betiveen the tsvo races, do not require to
be told that a country whose population is entirely composed »
of followers of one ereed (a), and whose governing power
is ontively composed of adherents of the othcr, must be
oppressively and unjustly ruled,
That Mussulmen and Iindoos to a certain extent amalga.
mate in Ilindostan, is no evidence to tho coutrary, They
.
(®) Tho proportion of pundits is too small Lo bo taken into consideration.
CASIIMERD MISCOVERNMDN'T, 1
have the common feeling of dislike to the English ; and, moro~
over, the Mussulman of India has lost almost all tho distin-
guishing characteristics of his raco and religion. Nono of
the noble qualities which once animated the followegs of
‘that creed in so many quartois of the globe, are to be found
in the semi-ILindooized, and consequontly dobused, Musgul-
man of India.
The people of Cashmere, however, (as I hope to shew in
a future work,) ave possessed of many characteristics, both intel-
lectual and moral, which command our respect and admira~
tion ; and amongst them, the religion of Mahomot, although
sullied by long contact with idolators, is still kepl ap
with much.of its anciont purity, and with a dovotion and
enthusiasm that would not have disgraced the best days of
Islamism,
CUAPTER If
TITER SIAWL SYSTEM,
Tim “poshm” which reaches Cashmere by the ordinary
traders, is bought up in its raw state and spun into thread
of different dogrees of fineness by women, the wives of shawl
and gida bafs, merchants, and evon of shop-keopors and
others who are unconnected with the shawl tirade (@), They
soll it in small quantities 10 shop-kcepers (2) in the bazar,
from whom it is bought by tho karkandoxs and othors.
Tn order,to undorstand the shawl systom in Cashmore, ib
will be necessary to consider separately that of thoso which ,
ara worked by the loom and thogo which avo worked by tha
hand, since the classds of people employed in each, and tho
government rogulations affecting thom, avo casentinlly diferent,
We will first examine
The Loom Systom.—A. kavkandor is a shawl mannfactaror
who employs under him a number of shawl bifs (c)—from 20
or 80 to 800. To buys the spun thread from tho pobiwtneo,
(a) It acems to ho considerod a nocossary branch of the edueation of tha
fair sox in Cashmore, and to bo a very anciont institution among thom.
(8) Tho Cashmore namo for theso poople is “ podiwtnos.”*
po BP
{e) Shawl bifs, ov shagivde, ave Zoom workmon, Sida bifa avo thoso whos
manufacture the plain pushmine by tho hand, with the assistanea of a amull
frame, Rufodgas work tho pattorn upon tho plain pushmina by the hand
22 CASHMERE MISGOVERNMENT.
and gets it dyed of different colours before it is distributed
among his workmen. There are about 100 karkandas in
Cashmere, small and gyeat, all of whom live either in Srinagur
or Islamabad; but the houses in which their shaw] bats worl
are in different parts of the valley, the largest number being
in the towns of Pampur and Sopor. A number of overseers
are therefore necessary to superintend the work, to be respon-
sible for the pushmina, and to draw the pay of the workmen,
etc, These people are called usttd (a word which signifies
master or, sometimes, teacher) there is usually one over every
25 or 30 shawl bafs, At the end of cach month, the ustid
takes to the karkander an account of the work performed in
that time by each of the men under him, and dratys go rauch
pay for each, which is regulated by the amount of work done,
The sum thus realized by the shaw] bif is usually from three
to five chilkee rupees a month, izedusive of the amount
deducted by the Government for rice, which is sold to the shawl
bafs under conditions which I shall explain presently, Such
a sum is not sufficient to support a family with any approach
to comfort, even in so fertile a country as Cashmere (@).
The inability of the karkandor to pay his workmen a higher
rate of wages, I shall now proceed to demonstrate.
The annual tax levied on each karkander up to the Let
December, 1867, was Rs. 47-8 (chilkee rupees) for each shawl
haf in his employ ; from that date a reduction was made of
11 chilkeo rupees, The method of raising this {ax is some-
what complicated, and most liable to abuse.
(a) Tha hat of prices at the Government kolus, given in the last
chapter, vendors this apparent (p. 1d).
CASIMERE MISGOVERNMENT, ay
Thore ig in Srinagur a large Govornment office, called th?
Déghshali, in which ave employed about 200 pundits for
purposes which I shall explain, At their head is mu official
commonly called the Dardgha of the Dighshili, Beloro n
loom shawl can be legally mado, a small piece of the intended
degree of fineness must be brought to tho Daghshili, Tho
proposed size is named, and tho price is thus caloulated; tho
piece then recvives the Government stamp, and is laid up in
the Daghshali, The karkander reoeives a paper describing
the shawl and giving the date of the stamp, for which ho pays
at the time Rs. 18°12 per cent. on the price of the shawl;
when the shawl is nearly completed, itis taken to the Digh-
shali, and the stamped picce is worked into it. ‘No loom
shawl can of course be sold withoul this stamp; and in ordex
to ascertain that no karkander puis in hand a shawl without
first obtaining it, some of the Dfighshdli pundits avo
continually employed in inspecting tho different karkhanas (2)
throughout the towns and the few villages in which there
may happen to be any.
Tt appears that thoy aro in the habit of domanding and
receiving from the karkandors illegal remunoration for their
bont-hive, road expenses, oto., which, as thoir visila ave nooos-
sarily very frequent, must amount to a considorablo sum,
At the end of each year, the amount paid into the Digh~
phdli by cach karkander is caloulated by the officials of that
ben and compared with the amount he would have paid
d the tax of Rs, 47-8 per shawl baf been taken from him
yxstend.
oe nme en
: A karkhana {s a hougo in which looms for making shawls are set up,
24 CASTIMERT AMISGOVERNMENT.
The deficiency is then paid by the karkander; it rarely or
nover happens that he has paid percentage in excess, becanse
he entertains a doubt (not, I suppose, unfounded) that in the
event of his having done go, the difference would not be
refunded to hip’ by the dardgha, Ile restricts himself, there~
fore to the making of such number of shawls the tax upon
which will not exceed the amount of the original impost of
Res, 47-8 per shaw] baf annually. :
That such an arrangement is detrimental to the interests
alike of Maharajah, karkander and shatwl bf, and beneficial
only to the officials of the Daghshali, is evident enough, It
is not, however, the interest of the Maharajah and tho
karkandor which call for any special consideration, but those
of the unfortunate shawl baf, In order to understand moro
fully the situation of that individual, and the principal causes
of the wholesale emigrations of shatvl and sada bals to the
Punjab, it will be necessary to advert to an oceurrence which
happoned at Srinagar in the year 1865. In the sming of
that year, the Dihwan Kirpa Ram was appointed to succeed
Wuzeer Punnoo in the post of Governor of Cashmore.
On his way to take yp his appointment, he was met at
Banihal by from 1,200 to 1,600 shawl bits, who came to
complain to him concerning two matters, Tirst, that in con=
sequence of tho Government order, no shawl bhf wag, allowed
to purchase more than cight kharwahs @%) of shallee yearly,
and that such an amount was insufliciont for their support.
Second, that the deduction in thdyprice of shallee sol
ato them by Government, which had been ordered by
(@) Seo note to p. 12 and p. 14,
CASIMERE MISCOVERNMENT. 28
Maharajah nbout three years before, should be allowod them
in full,
This requires some oxplanation, which will further illustrate
the system of Cashmere government. Soon after the neces»
sion of Gulab Singh, the rupee of the country, eadled that of
TLurree Singhia—valuo 8 annas—was changed by. him for tho
present ohilkeo coin, value 10 annas,
All taxes, however, romained at tho same amount of
yupees | Thus the karkander’s tax of Rs. 47-8 Tlurree
Singhia was changed to 47-8 chilkee rupees ; necessarily tho
prices of everything rose in proportion, and tho shaw! “bat,
about six years ago (a), most reasonably requested that for
such amount of work as formorly ontilled thom to a Turree
Singhia rupee, they should now receive a chilkeo rupee.
They preferred their request to tho Maharajah, who devided
that half of the diforenco between the old and tho new coin
should be paid by tho karkander, and half by tho Govorn-
ment, to the shawl bifs,
Tt was farther decided that the mannor in whioh this Inet
portion should be liquidated, was to be by a remission of
two and ahalf Company’s annag in tho price of cach khatwah
of shalleo gold by tho Government to tho shawl bif (4). Shalleo
should therefore have been sold to tho shawl bit at tho rato off
<n eorcnnceenineemne
(4) About twolvo yoars aftor tho change of coin,
(2) By this anangomont, Govornmont did not py hell the difforonco, sine
onlytoight khavwala woro eae yonrly Lo onc shwitl Daf. ‘This gives 20
annas yearly from Governmontto enol shail bAf But, computing the wages
of a shawl bal at Rs. 4, Lhe difforonco roquired by him in a year would bo
96 amnas. Govornmont thoroforo paid somowlhat loss than ono-Lhid of the
difforonco, ;
Dn
26 CASUMERE MISCOVERNMENT.
174 aunas per kharsvah, but the Davdgha of the Déghshali,
named Rajkark, through whom the Government shallee was
sold to the shail bafs, ordercd that they should pay 18 annas
per kharwah, intonding to make half an anna oneach khonvah
for himself (a),
This, therefore, wis the second causo of complaint, for
which, after waiting some three yoars, the shawl bis assom-
bled to petition their now Governor, Kupar Ram, on his arrival
in Cashmore, The answer they reecived from him was, that
he would listen to their complaints when he reachod Srinagur.
When that event took place, he was again waited upon by
tho shawl bafs, but they only obtaincd an answer that he
would attend to them in a fow days, ‘This process having
been repeated tivo or three times, tho shawl bAfs assembled
themselves togethor, in a somewhat riotous manner, on the
maidan beyond tho canal at the back of tho city, 10 consulh
over thoir wrongs and grievances, In bitter and despairing
mood they made a wooden bier, such as Mussulmon uso to
carry their dead to tho placo of interment, and placing » cloth
over it; carried if to and fro in procossion, exclaiming
Rajkark is doad, who will givo him a grave?” ‘Tho house
of the individual thus honoured overlooked tho mnidan, and
the wholo proceeding was apparent enough to him. Ifo went
to the Governor, Kupar Ram, who gave ltim somo 800 or 500
sepoys with whom he proceeded to “te muidan, ‘Tho shawl
bafs fled at the approach of an arniéd force, and in the
crowding and hurry of their flight some five or six wote
downed in the wafers of tho canal, Tho affair was reported
i,
(a) Whothor tho shawl bifs wore actually mato to pay 18 auuas, ov only
ordored to pay if, is um obsoure point, upon which I cannot pronounces
with cortainfy.
CASIMIR MISGOVERNMENT, 27
to Jamoa, but no enquiries appear to have been made at tho
time, Aboué a month and a half afterwards, Rajkark did
really die—with unenviable‘feclings, one can fancy-—nnd the
shaivl bifs were loft to purchase their rico at tho rednecd
yates in peace, The restriction as to quantity, however,
yemained unchanged, until by the deeree of the Ist Docomber,
1867, the boon of permission to purchase clevon khaywahs of
shallee yenvly was granted to the family of cach shawl bat,
Tho manner of solling the shallee to the shawl bills is as
follows :—On tho arrival of tho grain in Srinagur, a Inrge
amount is sot, aside for the shaw! bifs, and portions of it aro
from time to time made over to the dardgha for them. ‘Whon
that official receives an order for so much shallee from tho
Governor, ho takes his accounts, and writes ordors for oach of
the karkanders, entitling them to receive so much rice,
necording to the numbor of men in their employ, from certain.
specified boats, ‘Tho karkandex, on receipt of the order, sonds
for the boat or boats named, and distributes the rico to his
shawl bafs, keeping an account of the amount delivered to
enoh, to bo deduoted from hig monthly wages, tho karkandor
being himself charged with tho total cost of tho xico in his
account with the dardgha,
Such was tho way in which tho shawl bifs woro allowed to
purchase thoir oight kharwahs, and sre now allowed to prow
chase their clevon kharwahs yoarly, It is unnecossary to point
out the endless confusion, mistakes, and corruption which must
ontor into such an arrangement; and this also is to bo noted.
yogarding il, thet even now, although a anfficiont amount
of rico is provided for tho use of tho shaivl bit én the yoar, yot,
since it is not given in the lump, butin portions from timo tc
time, he may at cerlain seasons find himself short.
28 CASHMERE MISGOVERNMENT.
Such was, of course, froquently the case under the sight~
kharwah system, when tho shawl bit and his family were ofton
redueed to a state of semi-starvation.
Unable to obtain rice from his mastor, the karkandor,
who had issued all that he had received from the dardgha, he
(the shawl bat) went. to that official 10 complain that his yieo
was tomporavily withheld.
The dardgha sont for tho karkander, who produced his
accounts, shewing' that he had distributed all the rico he had
veeeived, and the dardgha having” also expended all that
he had recoiyed from the Governor up to that date, the unfor.
‘tunate shawl bal was, of cowse, told to go about his
businoss (4).
‘
By the Maharajah’s proclamation of the 1st December, 1867,
that “a court for the shawl bifs has beon appvinted, under
the title of the Dardgha-i-Shil-Darg,” the dardgha always
had power to punish shawl bifs and sida bifs, and to adjust
their complaints, so far as the Govornmont system pormitted
him; and some 50 sepoys aro always prosont during the day
at the Déghshili for the oxceution of his orders, The only
difference now ia, that another official is to hold outchorry in
the Daghshili, and attend to complaints, Ho is, howover, in
a position inferior 4o that of the dardgha, and thorofore (in an
Eastern Government) subgorvient to him; and moreover,
since the complaints of tho shawl bifs are always oither of
scant supply of rico, or small payment of wages, the impos
sibility of any adjustment is evident enough!
73 @) Tho aamo ovils may happon now unday tho cloven-kharwah aystem,
shica the whole amount cannot possibly be supplicd tothe derdgha, and con-
sequently not to the shawl bifa, at one times
GASIIMERE MISGOVERNMENT. 20
The most detestable piece of oppression committed against
the shawl bafs is, howevor, this, that none of them aro per
mitted to relinquish their cmploymont withoul finding a
substitute; which, of course, it is almost always impossible
to do!
-The shawl baf may becomo half blind, as many of thom
do from the nature of tho work; ho may contract other
diseases, which tho sedentary life, and the foxtid atmosphora
of the low rooms, engender and ripen; he may Jong 10 tako
up some other employment, which will permit him to breathe
the fresh air, to reeruit the unstrung nerves, the oramped
sinewa, and the weakened framo; and to prolong tho poor
boon of existence, which tho fearful toil of tho loom ig
hurrying to its close—no! nothing but death oan releaso
“him from his bondage, since the dischargo of a shawl bat
would reduce the Maharajah’s yovenue by 86 chilkocs a
year,
Is it not strange that the Govornmont of India should
havo tho power to remove by a word theso misorios nnd
sullerings, and will not say ib ?
Do those who ara in powor ever spond a thought upon tho
people whom their predecessors adld into slavery ?
Do they ever picture to themselves those low-roomad, ill-
ventilated abodes, whore the loom-workors sit ab their (@)
forced labour day after day, toiling for their misorablo
pibtince ?
n
‘ (a) That fs, forced” in many instances 5 of course they do not ull want
to give it up,
30 CASIMERD MISGOVERNMENT.
Those gaily-coloured threads of wool ave not the only ones
which these looms weave to their completion! Thyeada of
life, more costly than thoso of the softest poshm, whose
price will be demanded hy ILeavon yet, ave spun out theye on,
tha loom of sickness and suffering.
Denth or flight avo the only doors of ioleaso open to the
heavy-laden shawl bifs; and thus we havo arrived ab an
undeistanding of the causes which havo produced those
extensive emigrations of the Cashmere shawl bifs 10 tho
Punjab, But tho latter alternative is only possible to a man
in tolerable health and strength, sinco the difficulties to be
encountered, including the guarded outlets of the valley, are
many and great. Many of the fugitives make their way
over remote and difficult mountain passes, others by tempo«
rarily attaching thomselves to an Iinglishman’s camp,—one
way or another they contrive to reach the Punjab in considov-
" able numbors, and find, in exile, a refuge from the Mahavajah’s
officials of the Dégshili, Is it not almost inoredible that
the Government of India has only to say a word to restore
these unhappy beings to their homes, and happiness and
comfort to hundreds and thousands of suffering familios
throughout Cashmere, and will not say it?
Consider the half-despairing fecling of ono of those refugioo
shawl bifs as ho prepares to My liko a hunted felon from his
wife and childvon ; for to take zhom with him is, of course, an
impossibility! Tow many a miserable hour must he have
known, debating with himself whethor oy not to take the final
step! Consider what must have beon undergone, in most
eases, before he can bring himself to leave tho dear ones
of his home with tho uncorlainty of ever again beholding
them t
’
CASIIMERI] MISGOVERNAIENT, 81
‘A difficult and dangerous path bofore him, the possibility
of capturo and imprisonment, the uneovininiy of what ha
shall meet with in that unknown land which he haz heard of
by the name of the Punjab, which they toll bim tho “sahibs’
rule over, and do not suffor the poor to be oppressed! Tha
journey across the mountains is, indeed, ensy enough Lor an
Englishman with hie camp and all ils comforts and appliances ;
but what is ib for one of these unfrionded outcasts, with
scant supply of clothing, food, shelter, and the dread of
capture and punishment continually bofore his eyes ?
The English traveller, as he pauses on his plensant jowncy
_ towards Cashmere, and looks up at the bright snow.glad sum.
mits towering above him, and perhaps thanks God—if he havo
any gift that way—for making this carth so beautiful,
heeds not that other aspect of tho world, which tho palo,
worn figure hastening past him might reveal, Io flies
like a hunted folon, as I snid, and his crime is—povorty !
OF these fugitives I have learnt that thoy avo in tho habit
of sending supplies of money to their families, ag ocension
offers, by some trader or other returning to the Valley ; and
I am told that the confidence thne placed is nover abusod,
Surely this one fact speaks volumes in favour of tho Cashmore
charactor (a) in regard to thoso tivo “qualities, which thoy
certainly oxhibit in a marked degreo (considering that thoy
avo an Asiatic race)—namely, honesty and loving-kindnoss,
I nover yot heard of an Englishman having had anything
slolen by a Cashmeerie, and have very rarely heart of theft
(a) The peoplo of Cashmoro ara unjustly abuecd by intevostod peaplo, whe
support the Jiamoo Clovorpmeni, and also by travellers whoso Jnow lodge of
thon is Inmted to boatmon, shikaricg, und othois with whom the Englwh
viaior ordinarily comos in contact,
82 CASUMERD MISGOVERNILNT,
among themselves, In their villages, any one who may hav
become ineapacitated from old age or sicknoss, and who ha
no near relations to look after him, is supported by the com
munity, In the cities, especially in Srinagnr, food an
money are given to all of the poor who may come to ask fo
them from the houses of those who are tolerably woll off, o1
the 11th of every month (@), as well as on all their sacred days
and especially on tho occasion of the do, and throughout thi
month Ramadan. It were easy for mo to multiply instances
of this and other traits in their character worthy of admira
tion, but these pleasanter aspects of Cashmere aro somewhat
foroign to our immediate purpose, nor have I at present time
to speak of thom. ‘Lo refurn therefore:
The family of a refugeo shaw] bif is by no means loft in
peace ; for, according to ILindoo ideas of justice, infraction of
tho law by any membor of the commimity implicates all his
yelations. The karkander, of‘ courso, immediately informs
the dardgha in order that his tax may be decreased (2),
The dardgha sends a sepoy to tho house of the fugitive, and,
wife or mother or father, or probably all of thom, are brought
up before the Digshali.
(a) This oustom is in 1omombraneo of thoir prophot Das Ghyx, whosg
slxino ig im the onvirong of tho sity, noar tho Dagh-i-dilawar-khan, and ia
probably one which those who thoughtlossty abugo tho Onshinera people are
onttrely ignoxant of,
(8) Which is not done, howovor, wutil the ond of the yenv, even in caso
of death, Thus, 1f a shaw) bit dies in tho fat month of the your, tho kaikan-
dor pays tax for clovon months for » dead men! and when the nme of
fho dofunot is at Inst crasod from tho Dagshdli list, tho offlcinls of that
admirnblo institulion make the km kandor pay 9 feo Lo Uhom in honoy of tho
occasion |
CASHMERE BMISGOVERNMENT, 33
They ave fined a rupee or two, or suffer 2 few days’ im-
prisonment, by the Government, whose cruelty and injustice
have driven from them, in some cases, their almost only means
of support.
Such is the case of those who fly from the Valley! But
how many are there who would fain fly and cannot, who
are driven to,theiy unhealthy, and sometimes fatal, labour in
the karkhana by the sepoys of the Dagshali |
* * * x *
Such is the loom system, and the misery which it produces |
The obvious remedy for most of its ovils would bo tho abolition
of the Dagshali, and the institution of a trionnial consug
of the shawl bafs, shewing how many wero at that time
employed by each karkauder, The tax, which ought to be
lowered to 25 or 80 chilkeo rupees on each shawl bf annually,
should be collected in advance, by which arrangement the
karkander would be enabled to increase the number of his
workmen for three yenrs, witHout an inoreaso of tax (the
Government at tho same time reaping the corresponding bonelié
of sustdining no loss by a possible decrease in the number
of workmen), At the end of the first three years, the
leskors would probably show an increase in tho total numbor
of shaw] bafs, and in the course of six or nino yonrs, the
Government yvevonue from the loom shawl tax would most
likely bo larger than it is now; and, what is of more import.
ance, the karkander would be enabled, and should be compelled,
to raise the present wages of his shawl bats to 10 or 12
chilkee rupees a month, thoreby enabling them to livoin their
baative country in very tolerable comfort: provided that the.
tr CASHVERL MISGOVURNMENT,
Jaw of forced Inbour was abolished, aud a rensornble money
tax, ingtend of produce, taken from the zemindars (2).
As the matter stands at present, the condition of the shawl
baf has only been bettered to the extent of 54 chilkes rupees
a year, by the remissions of the Ist December, 1867, It now
remains for us to examine
THE HAND-WORK SHAWL SYSTEM.
A sida baf is the workman who makes the plain pushmina
fiom the spun poshm, upon which the qvloured threads are
afterwards worked with needles by the workman who is
called a “xufodgn.” The sida bdfs ave immediately under the
dudgha of the Déghshdli, and in that office a registey of
their names is always kept; for, like the shawl bdfs, they ave
neither allowed to lenve the valley nor relinquish their
employment. The sida bdfs bay the poshm themeclves
from the bazaars, and manufaoture pushmina usually in thoir
own houses, sometimes employing an agent to eell it for them
to the merchants and others. No pushminn ean, of course, be
sold by them without the Déghshali stamp, the tax on which
is levied at the rate of 104 chilkeo rupees for 44 yads of push-
mina. Pundits ave employed, similarly to thosa who visit
the karkhanag, to ascortain ial no pushmina is sold by a
aida bit without having paid the above tax, Tt is said that
their visils are dreaded by the sida bafs, since the pundila
oblige them to pay a sort of black-mail, under pretence of
bout-hire, road expenses, &e,
(@ bis wnnocessary to point oul tho facilitios for evasion of tho tax as
it. is at present collovted, by collusion hetween the du dgha and the karkandor,
which ‘would be in b grott monstio removed by the institution of a trlennial
woneuts
CASUMERE ISGOVERNUUNT. 35
Whon plain pushmina is bought from a side bat for the
purpose of having a pattern worked upon it, or of being
dyed, it must be again taken to the Daghshali, whore the
first stamp is washed out, and a paper given by the owner, in
which the intended ground colour is named; as soon as ib ig
dyed, it, must be again taken to the Dégshali, and a second
stamp is affixed, and a second tax of 18 chilkee rupees is levied
upon the same 44 yards. Tho shawl work may then be com-
pleted upon it; when finished, it is taken for a jourth time to
the Déghshdli, when the owner receives a certifiente that the
tax has been paid, which he is bound ta give to tho purclaser
of the shawl, who is required to produce it at the custom
houses though which it may have to pass on ils way to the
Punjab or elsewhere,
The antount paid by a rufodga or other to a sida bal’ for
a piece of plain pushmina is one chilkeo rupee per yard, 7x
addition 10 the markot value of the thrend and the cost of
the Dighshali stamp. ‘
A yard cannol be made under from two to four days; the
position, therefore, of the sida haf is but slightly belter
than that of his brother of tho loom, but he is not allowed bu
lonve (lie valley ov relinquish his trade.
The civeumstances of the rufodga are tolerably comfortable,
nor is he in the samo state of serfdom ag the shawl and the
sida, DA; being permittod the privilege of changing or
giving up his trade, should he wish to do so,
teen nga reaneent
CHAPTER ILI.
TRANSPORI OF SUPPLIES FOR TROOPS.
A tangn number of troops being usually kept in the coun»
tries of Gilgit and Astor, supplies of rice, eto, are sent up
in the autumn of every year from Cashmere for their
use. Yemindars are pressed from every part of Cashmore
to carry these supplies. ‘They aro collected by the different
kardars from the villages under their respective control, whore
a kind of register is kept, that each houso may furnish its
quota of men in turn, Those who are thus collected are
‘paid from 4 to 7 chilkee rupees for the double journoy by
their kardar, and sent by him in charge of a hurkira to
Bandipoor, where there is a sort of depdt presided over by a
Hindoo official, Thom him thoy reccive their loads, with
memorandum of the amount which they have to deliver to the
Governor of Astor, and from him thoy bring back a receipt
to be presonted to the official at Bandipoor, Now, sinco tho
full amount that an ordinary man can carry is givon to 4 «
zemindar, and since little or nothing ean bo purchased on
the road, it is obvious that he must cithor oat part of his
load, ox starve,
Nevertheless, on his return to Bandipoor, the quantity
thug rendered deficient, as shewn by the recoipt, is talon
from the zemindar in money! (a) The journey from Bandi.
(a) Thelieve, however, that it is now usurl to send tho aupplios by tho
zemindars only ae far ns Gurfis, from whenco thoy avo transported on
ponies, What the paymont is on this arrangomont, T do nob know.
Tn proportion, I auppose, to what 16, 01 rooently was, the payment of
a zemundar for the whole distance,
88 CASHMERE. MUSGOVERNMENT,
“poor to. Astor; fora Jaden: mun; occupies. . twelve, days,
Such. is. the -ordinay system in, time of peace ;. and. if
this. were all, it , would: not perhaps, considering the ‘far
greater evils’ than. inadequate” payment (a) “for work that
disgrace the Government of the’ country; “be. scarcely
worth writing about, But, when. somo of. the frequent
disturbances: in: Gilgit. nécessitate -an increased . number
“of troops, the Cashmeerie zemindars, aud others, hays: to
auffer “worse: evils ‘than a month: or: two of -bad.and ill-paid
abour..
“Phe last, occasion’ was in. 1866, Tn the summer of that year,
it was supposed to. be necessary to send up an unugual number,
‘of: troops, and zemindars, boatmen, and even tradesmen, of
i (@)’, Gvossly inadequate certainly. | A, zemindar will ordinarily. havo . three
days j journey from his village ‘to ‘Bandipoor, twelve Anysto Astor, where’ lie
will bo. Golayed for a fow Aaya ho will also be dolayod at Bandipoor na woll
. going as rotimning ; therefore the doubloj journey rom, his village to. ‘Aator
and Dack cannot také lesa than fifty days, “Tor this tha zomindar recoives from
four to seven ohilkao rupecs; Now, when-an Wnglish traveller takes zonitidars 7
into the. ‘mountains: to aot a8 coolies, (not a8 shikaviog; Who are ‘pia a! chighor
xate,) ho usaully .givos thant six Ooripany's wmipess. @ mondh and rusendy ow
eight witliout russud, Lhe sopoys in Astor Appear tobe Wunder 1: control,’
and to itl-treat: tho ‘poople of the counury. aa anntelt a8 thoy .plonse,Whan. 7
wis in that. district in Ootobar; 1867, I, found'a sopoy abusing an old man.
and! trying to tuko somothiing from. him—his shoog I think, ..T called the agpey :
But ho’ ‘would not come 3 he rolrentod to'thie guard shonso of tho'v!
sveie'some other. sépoya, info: which I puvanod him, and brotig
t HjevorL bound: chim with ropes and nado hitn sit-na ia. pilsdher,
ulyror, for some. times
avithowt
mndntion;: thia- little: inoident ..in- ord’ to -romind those’ who may feol.
_Aeandalizéd at hoaving of ‘Bngliahmot i in Cashmore who aot contrary to Inw,” ”
"Shab, thyoughoué, ‘the. dominions ‘of tha Tanioo Gaverninent thera'ig propivly
-sponking: no Tews: Boo. Chapter TV.—-Powors of ‘tho: Mayistratey, iidprigon?'
noi, term of, nover ‘spaciltod,: &u,
CASHMERTE, MISGOVERNMENT. © 5)
the eity were prosbod to carry their supplies and baggage. ‘They.
were sent off in a-hurry, without: thé slightest provision being
made for their ‘lodging, clothing, or subsistonce on the road,
beyond their athoernats of one seer oft vice a day for their food,
Sand payment. '
It is “commonly ee that saianees of inns died. on
thnt occasions: many of them did certainly die ‘during. that
year onthe Gilgit’ road, engaged. in oanying govornment.
stores, and from the enuses Ihave. mentioned, namely,‘ want
of food, shelter, ‘and clothing; but I believe that the actual
time was somewhat later, After those who. had: been sent
with the troops had retumied to Cashmore, ik was found neces
sary to send further supplies, ii haying béon then determined
to keep the incréased number of troops ies throughont tha:
en
Accordingly, Inte i in tho autumn of 1866, the supplies ware,
sent on the backs of zemindars, taken ‘from their villuges: in,
‘ the manner I have described; and many of those men diod on,
th rond from cold, exhaustion, ang. wiaat of food (a ),
* Thave: loot hate taken ocension to noties this traly Tindoo«
‘Tike’ sot of barbavity, but was thon andor the impression: that
the men died during. the summer, when sont: with the troops
to Gilgit. : “Tid not, thon. know “thatthe ‘zemindars’ had.
been again sont Jate:i in the antumn, at which time it Appears
8 deaths dcourred from: the causes I. have imentionody
umanity of the authorities only. appears more glaring:
“fromthe: fast of their here. sont mon,” weithonb any. equip.
6
fC ae ti of, food,"*: although they’: saviiel, aice on their Pack ainds,.in
“the absence at OF and‘ consequently of boiling. wntor, rico. isnot available
for food.
40 CASIEMERE MIIQOVERNMENT.
mont, along a road like that, from Cashmere to Astor, at such
aseason of the year, It was necessary, no doubt, to supply
the troops; but if the Government arrangements were so
extremely bad, that no provision had been made heforchand
in a place where there is always the possibility of an
increased domand for troops, an adequate amount of equip.
ment, clothing, and amangement for the shelter of those
who were sené up with tho supplies should have been made,
But nothing of the kind was done; the men were sent off
over the passes with their heavy loads, and many of them
perished as I have said.
A Hindoo-like act of barbarity I havo called it, since it
proceeded not so much from active cruelty as from a passive
carelessness to human suffering; a dull, stupid indifference
like that with which the driver of a bullock waggon in Hin.
doostan urges on his starved and yoke-galled beast, with blows
and foul language, until the miserable brute falls dead on tho
yond (@), Ihave travelled that rond fiom Astor to Cashmere,
dnd can testify (2) that it is one of tho worst of the mountain
paths which lead out of Cashmere into the interior, both on
account of the steepness and height of the passes, and still
more from the scarcity of villages, and the unwillingness
of the inhabitants to sell supplies of any kind,
(a) The state in which bullocks, donkeys, and dik-gharry horses are
froquently goon on the public 10Ads of Hindostan, is a Aisgrace to the Govern~
mont of India, Their ownors would be punished in Ragland: why avo they
Permitted to escape in India? ‘Iho stule of tho last ought to be woll known
to the present Viceroy, who patronizes that mode of conveyance in his
annual Journeys betweon Simla and Calontia.
(%) There are mideod two ronds from Gurdis to Astor, but I was told that
the ono I did not sco was the worst of the two; of couse T do nol know whioh
tho zonundars took,
CASHMERE MISCOVERNSENT. 4b
T crossed the Kumori pass, which leads from the Guriiis into
the Astor valley, in October, 1867. It was covered with
snow for many miles on the Gurfis side, and for two days’
journey on the Astor side. I saw no human habitation for at
least three days in crossing from ono valley to the other, and
no shelter of any kind (a), I mysolf, with sorvants, coolies,
tents, &., and the advantage of fine weather, had some diff-
culty ina tho pass. We were shelterless by twilight in tho
middle of tho snow at a great elevation, and only suesceded in
reaching a spot where tents could be pitched, by obsorving a
part of the mountain side which we could descend rapidly,
and thus reached a spot of ground free from snow ns dark.
ness came on.
Some troops had crossed a fow days before me, and tho
number of dead tattoos by the side of the track boro witnoss
to the difficulty they had encountered.
But it was in the month of November that theso zomindars
were sont up to Gilgit, where the pass must have been con-
siderably worse, and thoy were sont without tho slightost
plovision for their shelter, clothing, or food, boyond tho loads
of rica which they carried on their backs. ZZow many died,
ib is of course impossible to say! What ILindoo Govornment
would ever think of recording the namos or numbers of
those who had died in their service ?
4
Picture to yourself, oh reader! thoso desolate scenes
wheve the Cashmere zemindars had to lay down thelr lives
None save those who have seen such can fully ronlize thoir
{@) Excopt that whon I crossed there wero tho remains of a fow wigwama
put up by troops, who lind passed three or four days before, aud which would
‘be destroyed by the first storm,
r
42 CASHMERE MISGOVERNALENT,
horrors, No imagination is powerful enough to realize them:
the waste, hopeless aspeat of the unbounded stretch of snow ;
the intensely keen blast of the wind, which strikes you with
the force of an engle’s wing as it sweops down upon you
through the ravines ; above and around you are snowy peaks
and summits, and precipitous slopes of rock, upon whose
edge sits the avalanche waiting for his prey.
Through such scenes, heavily laden, the zemindars
take their way. Powerful and hardy are the sons of Cash-
mefe ; patiently they toil onwards through the drifting
snow, in the name of Allah and his prophet! Many
encourage each other with words of hope: it may be that
they will yet reach tho offer side in safety. Alas, nol
From two or three the strength is already departing, and
the keen wind is paralysing the sinews.
Slowly the conviction fastens upon them that they shall
never quit those fiightful solitudes, ever sce again their
homes, nor those who dwelt there waiting their return, far
off in the sunny vale of Cashmere!
Who dare realize such thoughts—such moments ?
* * * * *
Let us lenve the asvene of death, But oh, British vender |
forget not that these and other frightful miseries are pro-
duced by a government whose chief is a feudatory (a) of
the British crown; by a government which derives its per-
manence from the protection of the British rule; by a
government which the British powor forced upon the people
of Cashmere; by a government into whose hands British
(a) See the Treaty of March, 1846,
OASHMERD MISGOVERNMENT, 48
statesmen sold the people of Cashmere; by a Government,
therefore, whose existenca is a disgrace to the British name |
It is at onee a memorial of that fon) act, when, like the ach
traitor of old, we bartered canocent lives, which fate placed
in our hands, for a few pieces of silver,
And it isa standing witness that we accept that act of
the past, now that ils conseguences have been seen, and take
the burden of its responsibility upon ourselves,
a
CHAPTER LV.
MISCELLANEOUS,
‘Cum punishment for killing a cow used formerly to ho death ,
but on account, I believe, of the remonstrances of the British
Government, it was changed to imprisonment for lilo. Tho
method, however, of carrying out the mitigated sentence
yenders it seavcely move morciful than the capital penalty.
The Hindoo vengeance does nob only fall upon the actual
cow-killer himself, bat on the whole of his family ; and all
who in any way participated in, or were cognizant of the decd,
ave imprisoned with him also, I bolieve for lifo!
In addition to this, after each day’s investigation into the
cironmstances of the so-oalled crime, thoy aro crnolly flogged,
and when consigned to prison ave branded and torlnred with hot
irons (a). Insufticiont food, and gonoral ornel treatmont, hasten
their deaths, before which there hag been, I believe, no instance
of any one connected with the slaughter of a cow having
beon released, But no formal sontenco is pronounced in
any caso when imprisonment is awarded, whethor for amall
offences or great ones,
Tho offender is sent to prison, and noither he nor any one
else knows how long he may be kept thoro. Possibly there
are many who have been forgotten! (2)
(@) All the offenders aro, I am told, aubjectad to oriuro, bub the setual
dolinguont mora soveroly than tho olhors,
(8) An insolvent debtor is usually handed over by Une court to the erediter
to sorve nga playo,
46 CASHMERL MISGOVERNMUNT.
Of justice, there is, in fact, little or none, Offences against
the Government or against [indoos are punished with undue
seveiity, while offences perpatrated by Hindoos or Government
officials ave either passed over, or adjudicated with partiality
and injustice. There has, indeed, been recently established
in Srinagur a new court for tha trial of petty offences and
misdemennours, consisting of five Suni Mussulimen, tivo Shiab,
and three Pundits: this seoms a fair distiibution of religious
bias; but their powers only extend to about ten chilkee rupees
fine, nor does their court in any way interfere with the power
of the Chiof Magistrate to imprison whoever he pleases, for
any cause or no catise! (a)
Before the advent of English visitors this year (1868),
‘s number of prisoners wore, T believe, sent in batches
from the Sritagur gaols to Jamoo, lest the number of
prisoners, and the causes of their punishment, should be
ascertained and commented upon by the Buropean commu.
nity. This, however, I cannot youch for, although I believe
it to be perfectly true,
The system of tho city police resembles that of the Iand-
tax aystem, in the number of different grades of officials, and
donsequent fucilities for bribory and intimidation whioh ib
affords, There is a policeman—myledar—told off to every 20
or 80 houses; his business is not only to koop ordor, but to
report to his zilladar all that goes on. The zilladar is a
sort of constable, Kaving %0 or 80 myledays under him ;
he reports to the sub-kotwal, the sub-kotwal to the head
kotwal, and the last-named, funetionary to ‘the Chief Magis-
‘trate. If the subordinates bring a false acousntion against
(@) -1 only xefrain from giving apecial instances Sor fonr of the consequences
to which the aulfforois migltt bo oxposed,
CASHMERD MISGOVERNMENT. 47
a family or an individual, the latter will sometimes esonpe
punishment; but theiv accusers are unpunished for the crime
of false accusation.
The tax on the salo of land is enormously high, being
44 annas in the rupee (!) oxclusive of the necessary doxeezs to
the clerks, who ave, of course, pundils. A marriage license
osts three rupeas, and about a rupee more is taken by the
pundits ; and in the case of a second or third marriage, in the
ense of the first wife or wives being alive, great difficulties
are thrown in the way of the Mussulman by these officials,
unless they ave properly bribed, since it appears that their
opinion as to the advisability of permitting a second mar-
ringe is consulted in many enses by the Magistrate. Some-
times tho license is refused unless payment of Rs. 100 or
more is made (2), In short, in this as in most other matters
there is no law but the will of the Magistrate,
* % x * *
All classes of the Mussulman community are tax-payars,
except the inilors, von tho boatman, whoso pay is only
Jo.’s Re, 2-8 a month, is taxed! Porhaps the poorest and
worst off of all, except some of the shawl bits, aro a clues of
people who live along the shores of the Anchar lake, not far
from the city. They subsisL on the sale of what they can
procure from the lake, consisting of a conrse kind of grass for
cattle, reeds which they weave into matting, and fish, which
by a vory veoent order they are permitted to catch and sell.
For the privilege of thus making uso of the lake, thoy pay
a considerable yearly tax ta Government, It was impossible
(a) Thatis, (o the pundits It is commonly isported that tho progont
Magistiate, Dihwan Budtinath, is aboye taking bribes,
48 CASHMERE MISGOVERNMENT,
to ascertain with any degree of certainty what the amount
was; but that they are in a state of extreme wretchedness
and poverty, and thal the Govornment take a considerable
sum of money from them annually, is certainly true. I went
into some of the cottages, and found them in as miserable a
condition as the appearance of the people outside betokencd—-
windowless, fireless, lightless, and bare !
Some children and others were shewn to me suffering from
different diseases. I gave them whatI could, and told them
to come to my house in Srinagur, and that I would take
them to a hospital, They never came ; they seem quite hope-
loss and unable to believe that any ono would ever do any~
thing for them, Their food is ouly rice, and tho conrse vege~
tables they produce in their Inke gardens; and the only fuel
they can procure is dricd horse dung! And these people
pay taxes | |
There is no Jack of fuel in this country, All round the
shores of the Walar Lako, magnificent forests of deodar are
flourishing in luxuriant strength and beauty, but the heavy
duties on wood, as on all other things which ave brought into
the city or its preainots, render the poorer classes utterly
unable to obtain it.
And now, before closing this Jong list of miserios and
atrocities, there is yet one other misory and atrocity, and ono
other iniquitous source from whence the Jamoo Government
derives its revenue, which T shall present for the consider.
ation of the reader. :
The sale of young girls in Cashmere to established houses of
il-fame, is both protected and encournged by the Government,
CASHMERE MISGOVERNMEN'T, 40
and helps to swell that part of hig revenue which the Maha-
raja derives from* the wages of prostitution. The licousa
granting permission to purchase a girl for this purpose, custs
about 100 chilkee rupees, and an additional payment is, [
believe, made to Government when the wrfovtunate victim
enters upon her miserable career, The vary fret that such sules
take place, is due to the grasping and avaricious nature of the
Government, since none but the vory poorest and lowest classes
of tho people ever sell their children (2).
It is with a Governmont as with an individual ; one crime
stands not childless, but is the fruitful parent of an hundred
more, Sale of children is a consequence of paverty, which is
produced, first, by oxtremo taxation; and, second, by the high
prices of all kinds of food, which is cnused by the Govornmont,
system of faking the Jand produce inte their own storo-
houses.
Those who have been bought as I have described, cannot
even quit that, life should they desire to do go, since thoy oan-
nol, of coursa, raise money Lo repay to their purchaser either
the prico paid for them or the license tax to Government.
It is nob many years ago since others, who Zad not deen
bought, wove nevertheless prohibited by Government from
relinquishing (heir foarful culling, and wero refused per-
mission to marey, Sov tho same reason as the shai] bats are
(a) Tho only class of poople who soll thoi children ava cortaiu of tho
villagera, who are shoomakers and workera m Ioathor. ‘Cho other Miwauhuen
of Qushmoro consider Lhem to bo a low and degraded race, and will not ont
with thom, I once askod, “ What could induce tho women to sell hor ehijd PY *
and woe angworodl, “ Poverty! But no Mussutman of any othoy olnsa vould
do auch athing; he would rather slarve !
q
50 CASIMLRU ASSCOVERNMENT.
still prevented from turning to other employments, namely,
the loss of the high taxes (¢) which these two unfortunate
classes of the people pay to Government.
I will offer no woid of commont upon theso things; the
facts'‘speak eloquently enough for themselves. If they fail
to arouse pity and indignation and horror in the hearts of
English readers, that class of people must have changed
their natures since I left the civilized would eighteen months
ago to travel in the Tlimalayas.
(a) Some of tho nautoh girls poy 80 and 100 chilkee :upoca a year, Iam
told that those “unfortunate females” ae now permitted to marry, and tun
to a bottoy and « happior hfo xf they wish to do so. But thore can bo no
cortainty—acarcoly probabihiy—that the Jamoo Govornment, which{eontinuos
to dove rovonuo fiom the land of “sales” I havo dosenabod, will nob withdyay
this po mission and onfoice its former barbarous o1dor,
I know of one anstanco in which a woman who entreated tho Govornment
to be allowed to mary and Jead a viituous hfe, was rofused pormission to
do 50, She attempted to fy with a man sho wished to marry, but was pre-
vented or biought back, and 18 now what sho was bofore, I bolioyo this took
placo only thioo years ago, and smilnt beibaiity mony again bo perpotiated
at any moment—a toat tho miasionarics would do well to onlargo upon,
OWAPTER VY.
MORAL AND POLITIOAL REASONS FOR 'TITH PUR-
MANENT APPOINTMENT OF A RESTDENT AND
ASSISTANT TO CONTROL AND DIRECT THE
ACTION OF THE JAMOO GOVERNMENT.
(Ar the present time we aro all indulging in a harmless,
but nob vay dignified species of solf-gloiification about the
Abyssinian war. The press is full of laudatory notices of
England’s conduct on this great occasion; we read of “ pure
and holy motives,” of * disintorestcd action,” “a righteous
struggle for the noblest ends, &.” A good opinion of self is,
no doubt, as gratifying to a nation as it is to an individual,
Nevertheless, one cannot: but be rather forcibly reminded of
the old proverb, that “self praise is no praise ;” and forcign
nations who read our numerous self congratulatory expres«
sions on having for onco achieved an unselfish public action,
may fecl tomptcd to sny that such a course must bo somo-
what an unusual ono with us, since its adoption provokes us to
trumpet our own praises to all the four quartors of tho globe,
in a stylo that might have desaribed somo horoio and unequal
struggle of a whole nation in dofence of hearth and altiax,
or of a wonk ally to whom her word was pledged! Perhaps no
stronger internal evidence than this outburat of sclf-laud-
ation for the performance of an act which if would havo been
simply disgraceful not to have dono, could bo found to
vemind us that our character as a nation has sunk from what
ib was, Thero was a time, not so very long ago, when we,
52 CASIILRL MISGOVLENMENT,
almost singlo-handed, vesisied the oppressor of Iurope, and
through tho teriible enmpaign of the Peninsula gave freely
the, lives of our best and dearest, that we might at Inst be
able to say to Despotism, “ Thus far, and no futher !” There
was 9 timo when we, first of nations, led the way to the
abolition of slavery, and at a loss and sacrifice which was
felt in every house in England, wo cast away the thing
which we felt to be an evil and a shame from amongst us.
At that time England was looked np to as the ono power
whose public actions were based upon other than selfish
considerations; she was honored as the nation who would
flinch from no sacrifice and from no danger to fulfil a noble
object, or defend a sacred cause; and she was then, undoubt.
edly, the fast of nations in the world. Ter voice was first
in the councils of Emope; her opinion on all great ques.
tions ivas waited for with eagerness, and heard with
voverence, What is her position now? Others better qualified
than I may answer that question. But whatever bo her
position in regard to powor, influence, authority, no one
can have the hnrdihéod to assert that she bas any longer
the moral power and dignity that were once accorded hey in
tlie days when the “moval support” of England was somo.
thing more than an empty sound,”
No one can imagine that she retains the character of a
generous and high-minded nation, so far as her public con-
duct is concerhed.
(Perhaps she doés not caro whether she retains it or not,
But the frantic delight into which she seems to have boot
shvown by having actually done something which she need
rob he ashamed of, would seem to indicate the contrary ; and
CASHMERT MISGOVIRNMONT. 53
inducos me to entertain a faint hope that she still retains
a sufficient regard for “pure and holy motives” to induce
her to perform that act of justice and mercy which such
motives call upon her to undertake in behalf of tho people
of Cashmere, whom, in the year 1846, she sold into a alayory
but Httle less oppressive and detestable, than thal which
she abolished from her domains in the West."
That such is the true light in which the question of
interference with the Jamoo Goverument ought to be viewed,
it is now my task to shew,
(cashmora was sold to Gulab Singh under the following
cireumstances i—
By the conditions made with the Lahore Durbar, after the
first Punjab war, a cortain sum of money was demanded by
the British Government to defray the expenses of the eam.
paign ; but the Durbar being unable to refund tho full amount,
it was vosolved to take Cashmero and corlain neighbouring
hill states in Neu of the deficiency, and 10 transfor theso to
Gulab Singh for an cquivalont sum, which arrangomant
presented tho further advantages of reducing the power of
tho Sikhs, and of gaining Gulab Singh as our ally.
An Cunningham’s “ Tlistory of the Sikhs,” thoreis tho fol
lowing passage :-—As two-thirds of the pecuniary indemnity
required from Lahore could not be made good, territory was taken
inatend of money, and Cashmore and the hill states, from the
. Beas to the Indus, were ont off from the Punjab and transforred
to Gulab Singh, as a soparate sovereign, for a million of pounds
sterling, Tha arrangement was a dextorous ono, if xoforonce
54 CASIIMERE MISGOVERNVUENT,
be only had to the poliey of reducing the power of the Sikhs;
but the transaction scems scarcely worthy of the British
name and greatness, and the ohjections become stronger when
itis considered that Gulab Singh had agreed to pay 68 lakhs
of rupees as a fine to his paramount before the war broke out,
and that the cusiom of the East as well ag West requires the
foudatory to aid his lord in foreign war and domestic sivife.
Gulab Singh ought thus to have paid the deficient million of
money ag a Lahore subject, instead of being put in possession
of Lahore provinces as an independent prince.”
Such is the plain historical statement of the outward facts
eommected with the sale of Cashmero; bué there are certain
othor considerations which give that transaction a pecu-
liarly odious aspect, and render it a dark stain upon the
history of the British 1ule in India, These are— '
First, that in no portion of the treaty made with Gulab Singh
was the slightest provision made for tho just or humane
government of the people of Cashmere and others upon
whom we forced a government which they detested,
For purposes entirely selfish, wo deliberately sold millions
of human beings into the absolute power of one of the mean-
est, most avaricious, cruel, and unprincipled of men that ever
sal upon a throne,
Second, that after our expulsion from Cabul, and the
murder of Shah Soojah, » Government proclamation (@) was
issued, that Dost Mohamed’s accession to the throne was
sanctioned by thé British Government, “ because principle
(2) Seo Arnold's “Poltey of Lord Dalhousio,”
CASHMERH MISCOVERNMENT, 55
and policy alike forbade that power to force a ruler upon a
reluctant people,”
Five years had not passed when, by tho troaty of the
16th March, 1840, we proclaimed the miserable hypoerisy of
the statement by which we had vainly sought to hide our
weakness when Dost Mohamed regained his rightful kingdoms
It was contrary to our principle to force a ruler upon the
wild and turbulent Affehans, to whom any scltled govorn-
ment would have been a blessing, and who would not have
suffered any ruler to oppress them with impunity, Bul
Lord Hardinge and Sir Ilenvy Lawrenco failed 10 porecive
that there was aught unjustifiable in forcing upon the
weak and unresisting people of Cashmere, not a ruler who,
like our Affghan puppet, was of tho samo raco, the samo
religion, the same people as those upon whom we sought to
impose him, bub one of a creed between which and that
of Islam the most doeply-rooled antipathios oxist, rondering
any sympathy, or any cordiality, or any sentiment othor
than disgust and hatred, ubterly and for over impossible
botween the governing and govornod olasses,
Nor was ita ruler only whom wo forced upon “a roluotant
people,” but the orowd of rapacious and unprincipled
ministers, courtiers, hangers-on of every grado who followed
the fortunes of Gulab Sing. These, raised like himself {rom
the lowest classes, and invested with the titles of Dihwan,
Wuzeer, Téhsildar, &o,, desconded upon Cashmere like a
flock of hungry vultures, and swept away tho progpority aud.
happiness of ils people ; and their descendants avo worthy of
their ancestors, Tho dihwans, tdhsildars, thanedars, &e.,
who rule Cashmero, avo, as a rule, avaricious, moan, and cruel ;
\ wholly untrustworthy, and powerless apparently to concolve
66 CASHMERE MISGOVERNMENT.
of the ideas of imlh aud justice! Tinally, we did not, as in
the case of our Affehan interference, foree upon Cashmere
avuler who was to govern by out gdvice, and was bound to
attend | cow suggestions, but one whom, by the terms of
the treaty, we rendered jaresponsible for any outrage or
unjustice he or his ministers mighb choose to commit, with
vegard to the internal adminishation of the country.
The third consideration which makes the sale of Cashmere
yet more iniquitous, is the chaiacter of the man into whose
absolute power we sold tho people of that country,
Tn supportof the terms I have previously used in desorib-
ing the nature of Gulab Singh, I shall quote the following
passage from Mr, TLepel Griffin’s “Panjab Chiefs,” on
official work compiled and published by order of the Punjab
Government :—~
“ There are perhaps no characters in history more repulsive
than Rajahs Gulab Smgh and Dhyan Singh. Their splondid
talents, and their undoubted bravery, count as nothing in the
presence of their atiocious cruelly, their avarice, their
troaghery, and their unscrupulous ambition, :
“The history of the siege of Lahore is too well known to
be repeated here. For seven days the garrison held out
lnayely against the whole Sikh army, which lost in the
asgaull a great number of mon, and it was uot till Rajah
Dhyan Singh returned from Jamoo that negotiations were
opened, by which Sher Singh ascended the throne and Rani
Chand Nour resigned her claim,
Gulab Singh, laughing in his sleovo at tho success of
his and his brother’s plans, marched off to Jamoo amidst the
CASUMERE MISGOVERNMENT. 57
curses of the Sikh army, carrying with him a great part of
tho treasure, principally jewels, which Maharajah Runjit
Singh had sioved in the fort, and which plunder, five years taler,
helped to purchase Cashmere 1”
After the investment of Gulab Singh as Maharajah at
Amritsir, he sont some rogimonts to take possession of Srinagur,
and to take over the fort, &c,, from Sheik Maum-ud-deon,
Whother the Sheik had received information from the Lahore
Durbar regarding the change of masters which Cashmere had
suffered, it is impossible to say; at all ovonts, he refused to
admit Gulab Singh’s forces into the city, or to acknowledge
their master as having any authority in Cashmere, Upon
the refusal of the Dogras to quit the valloy, tho gallant
Sheik sallied forth at the hoad of hig troops, ind an engage-
ment was fought at the back of the Hurrec-Singh-Bagh, in
which the Dogras were complotely routed, and one or tio
leaders of note wero killed (a). A layge number of prisonag
were taken, to whom, the Cashmeerios say, tha Sheik gave
money and clothing to enable them to roach tho Punjab,
and that in a fow days’ time thero was nota single Dogra
left in the valley (4), Whon nows of thie event roachod
Gulab Singh, he applicd to the British Govornmont for
assistance, to ennble him to tako possossion of his now king.
dom, and an order was sent to the Sheik, requiring him to
yield obedience to the new sovereign of Cashmore, or to
consider himsolf as an enemy of the British powor,
(2) Ono of theso was tho Wuzsor Sukpuls lie was buricd whore tho
fakoor's house alanca, half way down tho long avonuc ; and tho fakeor receives,
I boliove, a handsomo allowance Lo say prayors ovor tho grave.
(6) Bxoopt 4 fow who vomainod shut up in the fort, whoro thoy had
takon rofuge.
ih
58 CASHMERE MISGOVERNM ONT.
The Sheik wisely chose the former alternative, and Gulab
Singh’s troops were permitted to occupy Srinagur in peace,
From that period, as I have shewn in Chaptors I,
and Il, the misfortunes and miseries of Cashmere com-
menced, The change of coin, the increased taxation,
the increased prices, the shutting up of the kotas, the
mismanagement and oppression of the Déghshali, the
restrictions in the amount of rice purchasenble yearly by each
shawl-baf, the consequent diminution ia their number, the
consequent oider that no shaw! or sida bat might leave
either his employment or the Cashmere valley, and similar
orders regaiding the nautoh girls, (Sce p. 108-6),
All thege miserics and atrocitios date from the commence-
ment of the iniquitous reign of Gulab Singh |
The Sheik Imaum-ud-deen was a Mussulman, and had heen,
T am told, appointed Governor of Cashmere by Shere Singh.
Under his rule the countiy was well and justly governed,
Tho shawl bafs and other classes wore allowed to purchase
ag much rice ag thoy required, nov wore any of the poople
hindered from leaving the valley (2), Tom this bonificent
Government we took Cashmere, and plunged if into all tho
miseries which it hag since sufferred.
The Cashmeeries, in speaking of these things, do hot séem
animated with any unjust or undue feeling against the
Maharajah himself; and in speaking of the misfortunes of
ee ——————~
(@) Tho Cashmocrics say thas the country was thon so prosporous, that tha
people of tho Punjab usod to come up and sottlo in Cashmore, bué now tho
Coshmoories are forced to fly to the Punjab.
CASHMERE MISGOVERNMENT, 5D
their country, the well-informed amongst thom always date
their origin fiom the alteration of the old coin by Gulab
Singh, (Seo Chapter I.)
The manner in which that was carried out, paved tho way
for all the oppression of which I have given anaccount, That,
they always, say, was tho beginning of evils. Still less
are they inclined to blame the present Maharajah for the evil
administration under which they yuller ; nor do I, except as far
as the ignorance of a ruler regarding the people under him
involves a neglect of sacred duties and responsibilities amount-
ing to guilt. The immediate miminalily rtela with the
exccutive officers thoughout Cashmere and its dependent
states, but, I believe, in a much higher dogree with the minis-
tors who are located at Jamoo.
The Ilome Government |
* * * * *
Let us pause hore for a moment to roviow our position, I
have, I think, conclusively shown that the ory of opprossion
in Cashmere, so fav fiom being nonsensical, as was falsely
declared hy the Caloutia Znglishman of 12th February, 1868,
hing but too good causo for its efforts to obtain a hoariug,—
efforts which would seem 10 have beon hitherto in vain, alike
in theiy appeal to tho justice of the British Govornment, and
the humanity of the Anglo-Indian public. ;
ae *
T have also shown that wo deliborately forcod upon a more
than “reluetant” people, a despotic governmont of the very -
worst degoxiption, at whose head was a ruler of a charactor
held infamous, even by natives of tho Lagt,
NE
60 CASIIMERE MISGOVERNMENT,
I have therefore, I conceive, shewn that towards the people
of Cashmere we have committed a wanton outrage, a gross
injustice, and an act of tyrannical oppression, which violates
every humane and honorable sentiment, which is opposed
to the whole spirit of modern civilization, and is in direct
opposition to every tenct of the religion we profess, “y
Tt remains for us to ascertain whether reparation towards
those whom we have thus injured be still possible, without
the commiting of any fresh piece of injustice,
The following is a copy of the Trenty of March, 1846 :—
“Treaty between the British Government on the one part,
and Maharajah Gulab Singh on the other, coneludéd on
the paré of the British Government by Frederick Curvia,
Fisq., and Brevet Major Henry Montgomery Lawrence,
acting under the orders of the Right Honorable Six Henry
Tardinge, G.C.B,, one of her Brittanio Majesty's Uonor.
able Privy Council, Governor-General, appointed by the
Honorable Company to direct and control all their affairs
in the East Indies, and by Maharajah Gulab Singh
21 POrBON te
* Annore I,
«Tho British Government transfers and makes over for over,
in independent possession, to Maharajah Gulab Singh and the
heira male of his body, all the hilly or mountainous country,
with its dependencies, situated on the enstward of tho
River Indus, and westward of the River Raveo, including
Chumba (a), and excluding Lahoul, being part of the territory
(a) This ia probably o mistake, sinco Ohumba is porfootly indopondont of
Cashmere, My copy of the trenty is takon from Dr, Inco’s “ Handbook of
Cashmore,”
CASHMERE MISGOVERNMENT. 61
eeded to the British Government by the Tahore State, ac.
cording to the provisions of Article IV of the Treaty of
Lahore, dated 9th March, 1846.
© Anviots IT,
The eastern boundary of the tract transforved by the fore-
going Article to Maharajah Gulab Singh, shall bo Iaid down
by Commissioners appointed by the British Government sand
Maharajah Gulab Singh, respectively, for that purposo, and
shall be dofited in a separate engagement, aftor survey,
Anmonn IIT.
* In consideration of the transfer made to him and his hoiig
by the provisions of the foregoing Articles, Maharajah Gulab
Singh will pay to the British Government the sum of soventy~
five lakhs of rupees (Nanuk Shahee), to be paid on ratification
of this Treaty, on or before the 1st Ooteber of the ourront
year, A.D, 1846,
© Anrionn TV,
“Tho limits of the territories of Maharajah Gulab Singh
shall not at any time be changed wilhout tho concurronce of
the British Government.
Anvone V.
“Maharajah Gulab Singh will vofer to tho arbitration of
the British Government any disputes or questions that may
arise between himself and the Govornmont of Lahoro, or any
other neighbouring state, and will abide by the decision of
the British Government.
« Anmomm VI,
“Maharajah Gulab Singh engages for ‘himself and heivs to
join with the whole of his military force the British troops
62 CASHMERE MISGOVERNMENT.
when employed within the hills, or in the tovritovios - adjoin.
ing his possessions.
© Arvroun VIL
“ Mahavajah Gulab Singh engages never to take or retain,
in his service any British subject, or the subject of any
Enropean or American state, without the consent of the
Buitish Government.
“Antoun VII.
Maharajah Gulab Singh engages to respect, in regard to the
territorios transferred to him, the provisions of Articles V, VI,
and VII of the separate engagement between the British Go-
verumont and the Lahore Durbar, dated 11th March, 1846,
“Avro IX.
«The British Government will give its aid to Maharajah
Gulab Singh in protecting his territories from external
enemies,
“ Ansiowm X.
Maharajah Gulab Singh acknowledges the suprematy of
the British Government, and will, in token of such supremacy,
present annually to the British Government ono horse, twelve
perfect shawl goats of the approved breed (six male and six
female), and three pais of Cashmore shawls,
“This Treaty, consisting of ten Articles, has been thig day
settled by Frederick Currie, Hsq., and Brevet Major Ienry
Montgomery Lawrence, acting under the orders of the Right
Honaable Sir Henry Hardinge, G.C.B., Governor-General,
on the part of the British Government, and by Maharajah
Gulab Singh in person, and the said Treaty has beon this day
ratified by the seal of the Right Honorable” Sir Henry
Hardinge, G.C.B., Governor-General,
CASUNERE MISQOVERNMENT. 03
“Done at Umritsur this 16th day of March, in tho year of
our Lord 1846, corresponding with the 17th day of Rub.
bee-ool-awul, 1762 Tijvee.”
That Article IV of the above Troaty has been in more than
one instance broken by the Jamoo Govornmont, tho following
extract from Major Cunningham’s “ Ladak” (¢) will, I con~
ceive, sufficiently prove +~
“Tn the antumn of 1846, duing the rebellion of Sheik
Imaum-ud-deen in Cashmere, there was a slight distur
bance in Zanskaz, which was promptly repressed by tho
Vizier Basti Ram, who is now one of the confidential
servants of Maharajah Gulab Singh. Since then the whole
country has been quiet, and the passive Tibetans have
yiolded to a power which they find it ungafe to resist, ‘Che
neighbouring countries of Gilgit and Chilas have been added to
the Mahkarajah’s kingdom ; ond tho same prince whoss domi-
nions only twenty yonrs ago were limiled to the potty alato of
Jamoo, now rules undisputed master of Cashmore and
Western Thibet, from the sourcos of tho Shayok ¢o the head
of the Gilgit Rivor?
‘These ava instances in which the Jamoo Governmont has
violated the tronty of 1846 ; but thore is another of moro rocent
ocourrence, and which is not generally known in India, and of
which the home authoritios must be in total ignorance,
* In acedrdance with Article II of the Treaty, threo officors
Worle appointed by the British Government to aurvoy and
(a) “Indak+ with Noticos of tho surrounding County" By Alosandor
Onnningham, Byovet Major, Bongal Nnginoors, London, 1864. Ohaptor XII,
pago 356,
64 CASIIMURD MISGOVERNMENT,
determine the “limits of the eastern boundary of thé tract
transferred to tho Maharajah.” These were, Major Cunning-
ham, Lieutenant Strachey,and Dr, Thompson, The map, there.
fore, published by Major Cunningham with his work on Ladak,
(to which I have just referred,) may be considered to shew cor-
rectly, not only the eastern boundary, but the limits of those
other portions of the Maharajah’s dominions which he helped
to survey, as they existed at the time such survey was made,
The north-eastern boundary of the Maharajah’s dominions
is defined in Major Cunningham’s map to be the water-shed
of the Kaia-Korum range. ZEEven without the authority of
that map, I am justified in assuming that to have been the
north-eastern boundary of the Jamoo territories, both because
it ig tHe natural boundary of tho country of Nubra and its
northern valley and ravines, and because the Kara-Korum
has always been considered asthe farthest limit of the Ladalk
district by the Yarkundis, who dwell on the other side. How-
ever, in 1865, the Jamoo Government despatched a small body
of troops across the Kara-Korum, with orders to ocoupy the
country as far as Shah’dula, or Shidula, and to build and
garrison a fort there, which was dons,
Sbah’dula is about three days’ journey beyond the Kara-
Korum pass. Tho fort was provisioned and occupied by the
Jamoo troops during the summers of 1865 and 1866, the
force being withdrawn in the winter on account of the severity
of the climate, Towards the end of 1866, the newly estab-
lished ruler of Yarkund and Kashgar had taken the country
of Koten, and had further strengthened himself by the expul-
sion or conciliation of those who wore disaffected towatds
his Government,
OASIIMERD MISGOVERNMENT. 6s
1t waa therefore probably from prudential motives that the
Jamoo troop wero not sent to 1¢-occupy their new fort in the
_ Spring of 1867.
Some timo during that year, Yakoob Begi sent a handful
of men to Shah’duln, who destroyed the fort aud took the
supplios and stores with which it was furnished (¢).
It is true that a Government map has recently: been pub-
lished, which shews the boundary line of the Maharajah’s
territory in this direction to lie along the Kara Kash River, and
which consequently includes Shah’dula within the Jamoo domi~
niong; but this map was not published until the end of 1866,
wherens the Maharajah’s foreo went 10 Shah’dula ond orect-
ed aud garrisoned the fort in the spring of 1865, or oarlior,
The existence of this map, thoroforc, cannot bo plended as
having given the Jamoo Government any authority for such
extension of tenitory.
The map in question was founded upon a survey mado by
Mr, Johnson in tho year 1865, after the ocoupation of Shah’
Qula by the Jamoo garrison ; and tho boundary line theroin
laid down is entirely at variance with that shown in tho map
which accompanies Major Cunningham’s work on Ladalch,
Whith was published by Government authority in 1864, (Soo
page 64).
p
FS a a eas
i as The latest accounts from Yarknad say thatthe Kooshbegheo has mostly
ondotrddl Hitnself to hia aubjools by tho atmot jnatioo of his administration
and by abolftion of the alava markot, which was formorly held in tho Yar
Bind bazasw, "Me i is said (o bo ongngod in massing his forcon ab Kashgar, his
Siontioy town, alotacht about sovon marches {yom Kokand, which ts ooeupléd
by tho Russinne,
66 CASHMERE MIS@OVERNYENT.
The title of the map ig
MAP OF
THE PUNJAB, WESTERN WIMALAYA,
* AND
ADJOINING PART OF TIBET,
From vecent Surveys, and based upon the Urigonometrical Survey
f of India,
Compiled, by order of the Ifonorable Court of Dirovlors of the Bast,
India Company,
BY JOIN WALKER,
GROGRAPHDR TO THE COMPANY.
The fact then remains that the trenty of March, 1846, hag
been in several instances broken by the Jamoo Govornment,and
it thergfore follows that the British Government is not bound by
that treaty to abstain from that interforonce with the affairs
of Cashmere which the miserable condition of the people, tho
impediments thrown in the way of tradors, the exclusion of
English travellera, &., have now for so long demanded (a),
ney nrnenetennentenep bree etenepeenaiei
(a) Not only avo English tourists, sportsmen, soiontifla mon, &o., oxoluded
from tho Mahaiqjah’s dominions during six months of tho yen, but English
and Fyonch iradere alao, although nalive twaders fom tho Punjab and
clgowhoro pass unquoationed. Of cowan, all tho nativos of tho hill atates, and
possibly many of tho Punjab itself, oxplam this extiaordinary fuch by sppoalng
tho British Covornmont unable oy afraid to domand from the Onshore Rajah
that which common courtesy would seom to yoguivo from him. Ts it vory
imptobablo that tho insolonco and outrages of tho fontier tribes havo boon
jnorpnsed, or in gome instances caused, by this mistaken oatimate of oux posi-
tion with rogard to tha Maharajah of CashmoroP—pn ostimate which the
Govornmont of India dous its beat to foster, by not only cxoluding all its
soryants from the Jamoo dominions during tho winter, but by limiting the
numbors of those who wish to travel there dw ing tho summer,
CASTIMERE MISGOVERNMENT, 67
Té may be pleaded by tho supporters of tho Maharajah that
the countries of Gilgit, Chilas, and Astor were annexod by his
fathor many years ago, and that no notice haying beon taken
at. the time, it would now be an ungracious act on the part
of the British Government to make such infringement of the
treaty a gvound for interferonce, "With regard to the matter
of the Shah’dula fort, it may be urged that so slight an
aggression into a barren and desorted region can seareely
constitute an infraction of the treaty sufficient, to justify the
interference of the British Governmont with tho Makarajah’s
internal administration.
To these and similar considerations the following answers
appear to be sulficient :—
Hivst.—That the Jamoo Government has shewn itsolf
incapable of jus or humane rulo.
Second.—That the Jamoo Government has for many
years pursued a system of oppyession and misrule under the
protection and countenance of tho British Government;
Third,—That it has consequontly bocomo a stigma and a
voproach to the Brilish Government, both among the European
and native community of India.
Fourth—That there ave no moans of rendering the
administration of the Jamoo Government consonant with that
which should distingnish 1 power protected by tho British
Government (sée Article IX of tho Trenty), except thoso of
active interference.
Fifth.~That the British Governmont committed an act
of gross injustice in forcing the rule of Gulab Singh upon
a reluctant people,
08 CASUIMERE MISGOVERNMENT.
Sivth—That, therefore, to forego tho power of making
reparation to the people we injured, which the infractions
of the tréaty give to the British Government, would be an
net of injustice and cruelty scarcely inferior to that which
we perpetrated when we sold the people of Cashmere into the
slavery of Gulab Singh by the iniquitons Treaty of 1846,
In a word, we cannot exercise generosity towards the
Jamoo Government without commitiing a fresh injustice
towards the people to whom we owe reparation.
With regard to the matter of the Shah’dula fort, it should
be remembered that although a slight instance in itsolf, yot
little things have sometimes led to great wars ; and that since
by Avticle IX. of the Treaty the British Government is bound
to protect the Jamoo Government against all oxtornal encmies,
itis obvious that such little encroachments as that of Shah’dula
might plungo us into « war with all the Mussulman tribes
of Central Asin, The Pall Mall Gazette vomarks, without
any particular comment :—~" Wo believe that it haa just boon
vuled that the Maharajah is at liberty to hold whatever
foreign relations he may caro to entortain without reference
to us” Evidently, the Palé Mall Gazette must he totally
ignorant of the nature of the Treaty of 1846, since a glanaa
at Artiole IX will convines any one that if the Maharajah és
pormitied to enter into whatever foreign relations he may
please to entertain, he may at any time plunge us into a war
with Turkistan, or Bokhara, or with Russia horself |
Suppose, for example, that next year the Maharajah were
“to send a few troops to occupy a portion of the country
beyond his Gilgit boundary, and that Russia had , con-
queved Budukshan, and concluded an offensive and defensive
t
CASHMERE MISGOVERNMENT. 69.
allianes with that country and Bakhara, and that a foree
subsidised hy a fow regiments of Cossacks and Kirghings,
officored by Russians, was sent to chastise the Jamoo chiel
for his temerity by annexing to the Russia-Bokhaxe terrilory
say only Gilgit and Astor, and the valloy of the Indus so
fav as to include Skardo, we shonld have a pretty libtle
mountain campaign cut out for us, with more formidable
opponontg than the undisciplined robbers of tho Iazara,
who ave now giving us the trouble of heating them, It
is possible that, in the event of such a contingoncy, our home
authorities would, re-consider their verdict, that the Maha
yajah has a“ right to entertain what foreign relations ho
pleases,” &e. ; and it may he as well to remomber this, that if
tho Shah’dula affair ig not considered of sufficient importance
to velense us from whatever engagement of non-interference
may be implied in Article T of tho Treaty, we cannot at any
future time plead that any similar act of aggression on tho
“part of the Jamoo Government is a violation of tho treaty of
sufficient importance to release us from our ongagomenta
contained in Article IX, by which woe avo bound to protect
the Mahavajah’s Government agninst a/7 eaternal enemies |
It is to be hoped, however, that our relations with Russia
will be thosé of pence, not war; and that wo shall, at no
distant period, co-operate with her in aprondiug tho blossings
of civilization and settled govornmont among oppressed
peoples and savage tribes (2), Should such be our happy
destiny, the importance of freo trado and unvestvicled transit.
(for Iinglishmen as well as natives) trough Ladak and
a Se
(a) Soo M. Vainbarg’s description of alave life and slavo trado in Contral “
Asia, whioh Russia is alrondy, evon amid tho difoultios of hor fest advance
among hostile and barbarous nations, trending down boneath hor foot,
70 CASHMERE MISGOVERNMENT,
Cashmere must be ovident enough, On this subject, the
following extract from a Russian papor, called tho Golos, of
Decomber, 1866, which I have taken from a late number of
the Caloutla Review, is interesting and important —
“ An amicable division between Russia and England is
quite practicable. What has not been conquered by one power
might, without any opposition, he conquered by the other,
more especially as the advantages of such acquisitions are
contested by many.
“We even do not see any reason for dissatisfaction in the
possibility of our Central Asiatic frontier soon forming the
boundary of the Anglo-Indian empire, Such a frontior
would, at all events, determine the commorcial fields for the
disposal of English and Russian productions, and would
considerably weaken, if nob altogether remove, all ae
gerons sivalry, That the sale under such circumstances of
English and Russian productions would rapidly increaso, is
evident, Lhe chief obstacles to trade in this region ane the
tncessant depredations and rapacious ewactions male by potty
Asiatio despots.
“All theso drawbacks must at once disnppear ander
English and Russian rule, and then an interchange of com~
modities will freely take place.
* The eapansion of the frontier to a mutual point of contact
between English and Russian territory, will not only dooreasa
the chances of collision between Russia and England, but
also conduce to amity and a feeling of friendship between
ethose countries, seeing more especially that a conflict between
them jn such a distant region wauld be disadvantageous to
both, and only lead to mutual losses,”
CASLMERE MISGOVERNMEN'S, 7
CONCLUSION.
Ir is impossible to avoid drawing a mental contrnst
Yetwoon the careless indifference with which, on the
ocension of the sale of Cashmere, all question of moral right
was complacently ignored both by the Governmont and the
publio, and the virtuous indignation into which it scoms that
a large party of the former, and a small proportion of tho
latter, are thrown at tho idea of any transgression of legal
right with regard to interference in the affairs of Cashmore,
In ‘the former cago, injustice and inhuman disregard for
the welfare of our fellow ereatures were sot in the senle
against our political interests, and the former kicked the
beam, In the present caso, a question of logal right is set
against the performance of an act of justicn and reparation
to thosa whom we have injured, and ihe vesere of millions
of human beings from oppression and misery, against a slight
invasion of the political rights of a Government which hing
showrilsélf incapable of just or humane rulo,
Is it thon a recognised Government principle that all
considerations of morality and religion must givo placa to
those of political interests ? It would soom so in tho presout
instance. Butif it be so, how infaiuatod seems the opinion of
those who think that wo can over porsuade the natives of
India to embrace a religion whose outward forms only are
adhered {0 and supported, and whose ossoniial and sacred
principles are as dust in the balanco against motives of soll.
interest and solid advantage,
That our failure in imbuing tho natives of India with any
vegard for tho spirit of Christianity has boon almost complete,
72 CASHMERE WiSCOVERNALENT.
the conduct of the wealthy Inndowners of Bengal seems
sufliciently to prove. I quote from the Friend of India of
the 20th August, 1868 :—
‘No language can be too strong to characterise the solfish-
ness and apathy of the zemindars in the inundatcd districts
to tho south of Caleutta, and in Midnapore; as on tho
occasions of the cyclone of 1864, the Orissa famine of 1866,
the Nuddea inundations, and tho cyclone of 1867, the wealthy
landholders of Bengal have been found wanting,
Tlow can wo expect them to act otherwise? An Orissa
or Jellamoota zemindar might say: “True! I havo not
given my money to 1clievo the distress of my tenants, but
what is that compared 1o the sale of a wholo people for
money ? Ihave not given money to relieve distress which
was produced by natura? causes, but your Government is con-
tentad to obtain money atthe cost of producing misery by
their own act among a happy and contented people I” (@)
In conclusion, I have one earnest word fo say regarding the
foregoing pages, and that is to protest against the idle and
unmeaning criticism of those who are ignarant of the syb-
joot. ‘There i is onlyrone question to bo asked, and answoredl,
with roghivd to the work, and that is, Avo the stntemonts heroin
contained concorning the Jamoo Government true or,untrne ?
ener RA tt rete
(a) In Cashmero osponnlly, ono is not surprised to find that ntlesionary
Inbourg are. a completo faliue. I wonder how a missionary oan show his {nce
thete Tow oan bo ask a Cashimcoyis to ombrace our religion ?—a rehgion
which, toashos xts votaviea that human beings may bo sold like cattle, and thad
fo hand ovor # nation into the horrible slavary of ond of tho worst, foot ot
pastorn deapotism * for ovar" (sco treaty) is no ornny, but only alae High lo !
CASUMERE MISGOVERNVWLNTE, 73
And there is only ono method by which thal question ean
be auswored, namely, by tho course which I haye mysell
pursued, of srict and laborious investigation in Cashmem
itsolf,
Should that be done, as it is my carnest wish that it may
he by a Government Commission, the truth or untruth of the
charges 1 have brought against the Jamoo Government will be
ascertained.
Of the futility of the Maharajah’s promises, there has been
ample proof in the fact that none of those made to Sir Rohor
Montgomery in 1864, concertting reduction of duties, &e.,
were kept, The Maharajah affirmed that he had given ovdors
do his officials to carry out the promises, &e., but Dr. Cayloy’s
yeport from Ladakh, for the season of 1867, showed that no
improvement upon the old system had beon attempted.
w Tho Maharajah is, therefore, unablo to control his officers in
Tradath, dud i is hot wnvensonable to suppose that he is Hke-
wise unable to control them in Crshmeve! Nay, ib is but
just to suppose that the Mahatajeh’s officials in all paris of
his dominions act systematically in’ defianco of thoir master’s
ordérs and wishes, since the Maharajah is represented Aa boing
of a humane and benevolent disposition, and desiroug to pro.
mote the well-boing of the subjects for whom ho feels him.
self’ responsible (a).
(a) 4 the proclamation of the Mahaayah of Cashmore, which wns prmted
in Ug Lahore Chromele of tho 28th December, 1867, in which it ia end that
“the good of Ins sutyoots, which avo tho gonil gifts of tho Almighty, ana
ther happiness, and the supporting the pontor elnssea, lia on Iile (the
Mab njal’ 8) shguldors a8 & luton, '
K
th OASHMERE MISGOVERNMENT,
‘Since, then, tho Maharajah ts manifestly unable to earry out
his. benign intentions, how -thankful he will doubtless feel to the
British Govornment, should they resolve npon ‘finishing him
with the means of protecting his people (for, whose welfare
hé iygo Taudably anxious) front the rapacity of ministers and
officials who must undoubtedly (if the character. the Maharajah
claims’ for himself’ bg true) conduct. every: ‘braneh’ ofthe!
administration in a: manner. diametrically: opposed to. the.
wishes of HE. the Maharajah of Cashmere ‘aud Jamoo, tr
Calcutta Contydl Prose Compaity, ‘Limited,
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